


Til' There Was You

by Cherlynne



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Abusive Relationships, Angst, Childhood Trauma, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Sexual Assault, Singing, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-01-06 14:17:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12212982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherlynne/pseuds/Cherlynne
Summary: Betty Cooper's life has been anything but easy and at 25 she was still struggling to find herself.Jughead Jones wasn't the type to go looking for love, but what happens when it finds you?  Or more correctly, when it hits you like a ton of bricks when you least expect it....





	1. Dream a Little Dream

**Author's Note:**

> So I wasn't planning on writing more than one fic at a time but I was sitting at work, a song stuck in my head and for some reason that song came with a story and before I knew it Til' There Was You was born.
> 
> Again, this started as a one shot and I'm only going to continue it if people like because it wasn't my intention to write two stories simultaneously lol. 
> 
> So PLEASE comment if you like it :)

“Come on Jug, don’t be such a grouch” Veronica scolded as they walked down the wet New York sidewalk, “Who knows you may even have fun” she teased.

He just rolled his eyes, pulling his jacket tighter around him to block out the chill of the autumn evening.

“Yeah Dude, relax for once, it’s a night to celebrate” Archie added with a slap to his back.

Jughead glared at him, “It’s a night for Veronica to celebrate, I’m still not sure why I’m here” he muttered.

“Because Juggie darling, like you said, it’s _my_ night and I want to share it with all my close friends, one of which happens to be you” she said, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at him, “Besides” she continued with a dismissing wave of her hand, “You need to get out more, maybe find a girl that can finally knock you out of this broody funk you insist on living in” she tusked as he scowled at her.

A hearty laugh burst out from behind them, “Yeah right Ron, Donnie Darko picking up a woman!” Reggie chuckled again, “Are you sure you even like women Jug?” he smirked.

“Fuck you Reggie” Jughead spat at him, wishing he'd give it a rest already. He was getting pretty sick and tired of listening to the same old shit from him all the time. 

Hell, it's not like he didn't like women; he did, just as much as the next guy and he usually found that women liked him too. He was smart and good looking, or so he'd been told, and regardless what Veronica thought, dark and brooding seemed to work for him.  He has had his fair share of dates and a couple of short-lived girlfriends, and he wasn't completely inexperienced sexually, but despite all that, Reg still bugged him, claiming he was weird because he didn't feel the need to gawk or drool at every nice ass or pair of legs that crossed his path.  Always insisting that he wasn't interested in woman just because he didn't take every one that showed him interest to bed.  He knows he's not the 'typical' male, but he's just never felt that yearning to constantly chase women the way Reg and Arch do, or the way they did before Josie and Ronnie that is. 

Don't get him wrong, he enjoys the company of a woman and has had fun with the ones he has dated, but no one has ever made his head spin and his heart flutter or made his body and mind lose control completely. Someday, he hopes he'll find someone that does, but until then, he has no problem with being alone; content to concentrate on his writing and his work.  He doesn't need constant companionship and would prefer to save his time for a woman he actually has a connection with.

“Leave Jug alone Reg” Josie reprimanded, breaking Jug out of his thoughts, “Not every guy is a fuckboi you know” she said, giving Jughead an apologetic smile that said ‘I’m sorry my boyfriend is an insensitive jerk’.

“Can we just move on please” Kevin sighed clearly growing bored with the banter, “I want to know where you’re taking us Ron?”

“Omigod, you’ll absolutely love it Kev!” she told him excitedly, “It’s this posh little bar called the Blue Note, a total hidden gem. It’s like one those vintage lounges with big comfy booths and every night they have different acts and singers but it's not cheesy like you’d expect.  It’s like the old blues clubs where sexy women and men make you swoon as they sing atop pianos and shit, Josie and I stumbled across it one night and it’s amazing!” she gushed.

Jughead stopped, making Reggie bump in to him, “What the _hell_ Needlenose?”

Jughead ignored him, “Lounge singers? Like in one of those dark trashy clubs you’d see in a bad movie, where woman drape themselves over drunk men as they croon some terrible old love song?” he cringed, “Really Ronnie?”

“Well technically yes, but think more like Cameron Diaz in The Mask, sexy not trashy. You’ll love it, I promise” she grinned as Josie nodded her head in agreement.

“Fine” he muttered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, wishing more and more that he had stayed home, he could of hammered out a rough draft of another chapter by now.

They rounded the corner and he could see a blue neon sign in the shape of a music note up ahead, it was hanging above a steel door and there was no other sign or anything else that indicated a business was inside. _How very secret society_ he thought rolling his eyes as they entered.

They found a large high backed booth in the shape of a semi-circle just to the left of a large shiny black stage. Everyone sat and gave their waitress their drink orders, the group chatting idly while Jughead surveyed the room.  It wasn’t as bad as he imagined it would be, yeah it was dark, a little smoky, which didn’t bother him, seeing as he current fiddled with his own cigarette, but you could tell the building was older, with exposed brick walls and dated carpet.  And then there was the biggest cliché of all, the plush booths, wrapped in deep purple velvet because, well, why wouldn’t they be.  But there was also something appealing about the ambience the room gave off when you pulled it all together. 

The stage, including the steps surrounding it, was lined with lights and there was a small runway that came out into the crowd. A silver curtain was hanging across the back, currently blocking everything from view except for a grand piano that was sitting to one side of the stage. 

The establishment itself was spacious with a mixture of tables and booths spread out among the two different levels of seating. Both levels were shaped in a semi-circle, one in front of the other, hugging the stage and mirroring the design of the booths.  The lower level around the stage, where they were seated, was pit like, the table tops even with the floor of the stage.  The second level sat five steps higher, wrapping around the pit and there was a black metal railing separating the two areas.

Older silver chandeliers hung from the ceiling, creating a soft glow as candles flickered on each table and framed vintage pin up girl posters were hung around the room. There was a huge bar running all the way along one wall with tall low backed vinyl bar stools lining its counter.  Liquor bottles of all sorts sat on glass shelves in front of the exposed brick and both the shelves and the bar counter were under lit by tiny lights.  The effect completed by the Bartender, who was currently drying a glass with a rag as he surveyed the crowd.  He had slick black hair that fell to his collar and was dressed in a white dress shirt with a black vest overtop, his sleeves rolled up his inked forearms and a purple bowtie at his neck.  His whole look, including his facial features, screamed old nuance and he looked like he stepped out of A Streetcar Named Desire.

 _Maybe they really had went back in time_ he thought, shaking his head as the young redhead came back with their drinks and a couple bowls of pretzels for their table.  Christ, even the waitresses wore older flapper style cocktail dresses in shades of purple and silver, his mouth quirking up in amusement as he took a sip from his glass. 

His eyes widening when she winked at him before heading to the next table, “See Jug” Archie nudged him, nodding towards her back, “You just need to get out more, show the goods” he teased.

Jug gave him a wry look before putting his cigarette between his lips and lighting the end. At least he didn't feel under dressed since Archie had convinced him to wear a blue long sleeve button up shirt with his dark jeans but he drew the line at leaving his ever present beanie at home.

“Well now that we're here and we have our drinks, I propose a toast” Archie said, raising his glass, “To Ronnie, after flying through both Business AND Design School and spending the last two years working and building your dream, it's finally coming true! Come Monday morning, Cashmere & Lace will officially open its doors, congratulations baby, I’m so proud of you” he finished dropping a kiss to her lips.

“Thank you, Archiekins” she smiled, gazing up at him, eyes glistening, clearly moved by her boyfriend’s toast.

“To Ronnie!” Kevin shouted, the rest of the table following suit as they clinked their glasses together and drank to Veronica and her new business.

~*~

Betty sat in front of the lighted mirror in her dressing room; she was just putting the finishing touches on her look when she heard her name being shouted down the hall.

“Betty....what the _hell_ is taking so long, you go on in five!” Chuck berated her annoyingly as he walked in the room.

Betty frowned and rolled her eyes at him in the mirror, “Believe it or not Chuck, I don’t come to work dressed as a sexy lounge singer” she retorted as she applied her scarlet lipstick and checked her work, wiping a small amount of excess from the corner of her full lips before capping the tube and turning around, “And _this_ ” she emphasized, running a showy hand in front of her face and body, “Does not just happen in five minutes.”

Chuck looked her up and down appreciatively, setting his annoyance aside, “Mmm” he hummed, “I gotta admit, you do good work babe” he grinned, strolling towards her.

“Uh uh, back off” she told him, shaking her head and putting a pointed nail against his chest to stop his advancement, “Don’t even think about ruining my lipstick.”

He frowned and she could see his annoyance return, he didn’t like being told no but he seemed to let it go for now, taking a step back without saying anything.

She grabbed her red heels, sliding them on while using one of the chairs to steady herself, then took a minute to survey her completed look with a tilt of her head as she stood in front of the full length mirror.

She had kept her makeup sexy and subtle with a smoky eye and her red lips, and besides the small section that was pulled back with a sparkly red comb on one side, she had left her long blond hair down and it fell in curly waves around her shoulders. Her silver wrap dress dipped suggestively low in the back, almost to her buttocks, and the front showed a hint of cleavage but not enough to look trashy.  The material clung to her in all the right places before ending mid-thigh, showcasing her legs, which she had been told many times was her best feature.  Her red heels on her feet and minimal jewelry completed the look, pulling it all together.

“Gorgeous as always” Chuck complimented, stepping behind her and placing his hands on her hips.

“Thank you” she said as she turned around and kissed his cheek. Chuck could be extremely sweet at times, when he wanted to be or if it served him well, and he often complimented her or surprised her with some sort of gift.  But he could also be a real asshole sometimes, hell who was she kidding, Chuck was an asshole most of the time.  He could be mean and calculating, and was possessively controlling, even slightly abusive.  But he had given her a chance when no one else would, provided her with a place to live, a means to pay bills as well as tuition for the classes she was currently taking and she felt indebted to him. 

She grabbed her perfume from the dressing table, spritzing some on her wrists and dabbing it along her neck and behind her ears before setting it back down. A small buzzer sounded as the red light above the dressing room door blinked, telling them the show was scheduled to start in one minute.

“Well there’s our cue” Betty said heading towards the door, “Showtime!” she grinned, feeling that spark of excitement run through her. The job wasn’t glamorous but it paid well and she couldn’t say that she hated it either.  It wasn’t something she wanted to do forever but she enjoyed performing and being on stage, she found it added a rush or a sense of control to her otherwise mundane life.  And it gave her the opportunity to play dress up and pretend she was someone else for a while.

Chuck grabbed her by the wrist before she got out the door, making her wince at his grip, “Hey babe” he said, his voice questioning.

She turned around to face him, giving him her best smile, “Yeah?” she asked.

He reached up, running his knuckles slowly down her cheek, “I don’t have to remind you who you belong to while you’re out their putting on a show, do I?” he asked his casual tone failing to mask the warning that lied beneath.

“Of course not” she placated, shaking her head.

“Good girl” he said, grabbing her chin tightly between his fingers before kissing her harshly, “And don’t ever tell me when I can and can’t kiss you” he told her, wiping the red smudge from beneath her bottom lip before dropping his hands and walking out the door, throwing a “Go and make me proud” at her as he left.

~*~

Veronica had been telling them about her plans for the opening day of her boutique when the lights dimmed and a well-dressed man walked out on stage, he looked like he was not much older than them Jughead thought.

“Good evening Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Chuck Clayton, owner of this fine establishment and I would like to welcome you all to the Blue Note” he greeted, throwing on his most inviting smile. Betty wasn't the only one who put on a show every night.

Chuck was tall and built with creamy dark skin and well-bred good looks; he was well spoken and charismatic and he could charm the pants off men and women alike, which had proven to work very well for him thus far, both in business and in his personal endeavours. His stage presence gave nothing away to the fact that he could also be cruel, and pompous, and arrogant. 

Jughead had decided, not long after ‘welcome to the Blue Note’, that he didn’t like the man who was currently wooing the crowd. Albeit, he’d never actually met him, but Jughead was extremely perceptive and he could tell this guy was full of it.  He may ooze charm but he reeked of bullshit. 

Thankfully he didn't talk long before introducing the first act, “Well I know you fine people aren't here to see me sing,” he said, smiling as the crowd chuckled politely and Jughead rolled his eyes, “So without further ado, please put your hands together for the beautiful and the talented _Elizabeth!_ ” he said with a flourish before descending the stairs.

“Oh my gosh” Veronica whisper shouted to the table, “She performed the last time we were here and she's amazing! And that man's right, she's a total hottie!” she confirmed.

“You hear that Jug, maybe she'll even turn your crank” Reggie quipped, earning him a smack on the chest from Josie.

“I'm surprised anyone turns your crank Reg” he countered, “Pun intended, no offence Josie.”

Reggie flipped Jug the finger as Josie shrugged, “What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment” she sighed then burst into giggles as Reg shot her a look.

The curtain opened to an already hooting and cheering crowd, this woman was obviously as popular as previously implied. The open curtain revealed a dark backdrop that mimicked a city skyline at night and there was a large fake moon hanging from the ceiling and small twinkle lights poking through the backdrop like stars in the sky.

Not that anyone noticed the set up though, as everyone's eyes were on the blond, sitting atop a wooden swing that was suspended above the stage, her long legs crossed at the ankles and her back facing the audience. Her hair shone like a halo in the lights and her dress sparkled as the milky skin of her back, left bare by the low cut of her dress, seemed to glow, making her look almost ethereal, the whole effect was breathtaking and Jughead couldn't look away.

The swing lowered slowly as the piano played and she began to sing.

_Stars shining bright above you_  
_Night breezes seem to whisper “I love you”_  
_Birds singing in the sycamore trees_  
_Dream a little dream of me_

Her voice was the most angelic thing Jughead had ever heard and as the swing reached the stage and she stood up, gracefully circling around to the front, her hand still holding one of the ropes as her hips swayed, he's pretty sure his heart stopped and he forgot how to breathe.

“ _Holy shit_ ”

“ _Damn_ ”

Arch and Reg choked at the same time, obviously sharing in his reaction.

“In all that is holy, that woman could almost turn me straight” Kevin exclaimed, receiving a raised brow from Ronnie, “What? I said almost” he shrugged.

“I told you she was gorgeous” Veronica said smugly.

That was an understatement if he had ever heard one Jug thought, swallowing the lump in his throat as he forced his body to breathe deep while trying to calm his already increasing heart rate. His eyes followed her as she moved around the stage, she was strikingly beautiful and he found himself getting lost in the deep emerald of her eyes as she swept them across the room, letting them linger every once in a while on some lucky gentleman. 

She made her way closer to their side of the room, walking down the stage steps and into the pit, flirting harmlessly as she went. It was all for show of course but she had the men eating out of the palm of her hand, Jughead included.

She stopped in front of their table, leaning seductively against the side of the booth as she reached out and lightly traced a red fingernail down Reggie's cheek, to his shoulder, then down his arm.

_Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you  
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you_

She pulled away, causing Reggie to almost fall out of the booth as his body followed her fleeting touch. She gave him a smile, running her fingers over their table top as she went.  She winked at Archie who looked like a giddy puppy dog as he followed her every movement, Kevin watching it all in amazement as her eyes landed on Jughead.  She stopped again, gazing at him intensely before reaching towards him and threading her hand through his hair, knocking off his beanie.

_But in your dreams whatever they be  
Dream a little dream of me_

She gave his hair a final caress before continuing her way through the crowd. Jughead's scalp was tingling from her touch and he's pretty sure he couldn't have put a coherent thought together if he tried, especially since a lot of his blood seemed to be heading south at the moment.  He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his brain, she had barely even touched him yet here he was, reacting like some horny teenager. 

“You boys can close your mouths now before you drool all over our table” Josie stated, “Honestly V, why'd we bring them here again?” she asked the brunette beside her.

“Because you're the best girlfriends in the world” Reggie said with complete adoration, causing both girls to laugh, vanquishing any hint of jealousy they had felt.

Jughead watched as she moved throughout the room, turning men into puddles of mush as she went. As silly as his sudden infatuation made him feel, he couldn't bring himself to look away from her either.  It was clear she was the one in control on the floor, she could touch and flirt, but when one guy tried to get a little handsy with her, two bulky bouncers stepped forward, emerging from the shadows as she took a step back from the man before giving him a pointed look and wagged her finger at him.

She sashayed her way back onto the stage as the song was winding down, sitting sideways upon the swing and crossing her amazing legs as she leaned back, her mic free hand reaching up and gripping the rope above her head.

She pushed off gently with her toe so that she swung a little, her head resting back against her arm, her green eyes gazing out at them hypnotically as she sang the last verse of the song,

_Sweet dreams, till sunbeams find you_  
_Gotta keep dreaming leave all worries behind you_  
_But in your dreams whatever they be_  
_You gotta make me a promise, promise to me You'll dream, dream a little dream of me_

She smiled sassily and threw the crowd a wink as she sang the last word, the curtain falling seconds later, hiding her from view again and giving the illusion that the stage had winked at them as well.

The room erupted into thunderous cheers of applause and whistles; even Jughead was on his feet.

 _WOW_ he thought, that was one of the most incredible things he's ever witnessed and he was vibrating as he sat back down. He's never had this strong of reaction to a woman before and it should scare the shit out of him but instead it was doing the complete opposite, he felt energized and alive, excited and a little turned on if he was completely honest.

Elizabeth was by far the most beautiful woman he's ever seen and he was entranced the moment the first note floated across her lips. She was angelic yet tantalizingly sexy, his body still burned from her miniscule touch, which had him imagining what it would be like to feel her hands in other places.

However, he put that thought on hold for now, not allowing his mind to wander any further, being as they were still strangers and all, but for the first time in his life, Jughead felt the pull, the need to give chase and he sure as hell wasn’t going to ignore it.

Determination set in as he ran his fingers through the condensation on his glass. _Before the night is over,_ he mused, _he would know her full name and she would surely learn his,_ he deemed. 

Maybe Archie was right, maybe he did need to get out more he thought, grinning into his drink as the next performer took the stage.

~*~


	2. Courage

After two more performances and an encore, Betty retreated to her dressing room. She was done work for the evening but she still had a test to study for, so she threw her hair up into a loose ponytail and changed back into her more sensible skirt and sweater before grabbing a Mountain Dew from the mini fridge and settling in on the soft suede chaise with her books.

She hadn't been at it long and was just reaching the point where her mind, hands and highlighter were working together in a synonymous motion when Chuck sauntered in, his head down, scrolling through his phone as he walked.

"What are you doing?" he asked, pocketing his phone as he sat down next to her, resting one long arm along the back of the chaise while his other hand found purchase on her bare knee.

"What's it look like?" she replied, holding up the book so he could see the cover as she continued to read, clearly annoyed by his interruption.

"It looks like you're wasting your time when we could be celebrating instead" he told her suggestively, sliding his hand further up her leg.

Betty closed the book but kept her thumb between the pages to mark her spot, "And what exactly are we celebrating Chuck?" she asked, choosing to ignore his first remark completely as she pulled her reading glasses off her face.

"A successful night, a packed club…. _You_ " he grinned, giving her thigh a squeeze. "You're definitely becoming a crowd favorite" he acknowledged, "Though you could be a little _less_ handsy with the clientele" he frowned.

"Isn't that my job? What they come here for?" she questioned, "To satisfy their craving for something they can't have and the very appeal of wanting something that's just out of your reach—untouchable, isn't that the draw?" she pressed, "The very allure of the unattainable that has enraptured men and woman for decades."

"Well aren't you poetic" he snorted, "I really don't care what brings them through the door, as long as they spend money while they're here and they keep their hands off the merchandise. And you're right, it's important for appearances sake, that the merchandise remains unattainable as well" he added, "to most people at least" he smirked, sliding his fingers under the hem of her skirt.

Betty swatted his hand away, "Not happening Chuck" she enforced, clearly uninterested, "And I'm not an object so quit referring to me like I'm a piece of office furniture." She put her glasses back on and flipped the book open on her lap again, "Now if you don't' mind, I have an important test coming up."

He scoffed, "I don't know why you bother, you make decent money here and I told you I'd take care of you, do you really want to spend your days working with mouthy delinquent kids anyway?"

"I used to be one of those mouthy delinquent kids" she stated blatantly, "Or have you forgotten. And who knows what my life could have been like if I would have had more options and support back then. So _yes_ , that's _exactly_ what I want to do! I appreciate all your help, really I do, but I want to eventually make my own way and not have to rely on the charity of others" she disclosed.

"So what would you do if I said no?"

Betty looked at him confused, "What do you mean no? No to what?"

"To paying for _this_ " he said, tapping a finger against her text book, "As I fail to see how any of this will benefit me in the long run, maybe I'd rather keep you for around for myself instead."

Despite her growing anger, she paled slightly at his words, "You don't own me Chuck" she said quietly, eyes narrowed as her chin tilted up in defiance.

"Oh Betty dear, that's where you're wrong" he pitied, grabbing her chin between his thumb and forefinger, "Everything you have is because of me, your job, your schooling, your apartment….which I allow you to rent at a very low cost, might I add, so you see, _I do own you_ " he enlightened, leaning in so close that she could feel his breath hot on her ear, "And you'd be best to remember that because it can all disappear…just-like-that" he whispered, snapping his fingers.

She tore her face away from his grip, "Don't threaten me Chuck" she hissed, "Neither you, nor anyone else is going to dictate my life! I survived a long time without you and if I have to, I'll do it again" she told him proudly.

" _Survived?"_ he chuckled, amused, "Oh darling, you weren't surviving, you were drowning. If I hadn't found you and thrown you a lifeline you'd be floating in the Hudson by now and you know it."

" _Fuck you, Chuck_!" she spat.

"Maybe later babe" he threw back, having the audacity to wink at her, not at all affected by her outburst, "Right now I have business to attend to" he advised as he pushed himself up and gave her a two finger wave as he walked out of the room.

Betty shut her eyes tightly, her fists clenched as she screamed internally before taking a few deeps breathes, trying to suppress her rage.

" _Asshole_!" she muttered angrily, getting up and packing her items back into her large purse. She was too pissed off to try and concentrate on her studies now, so she grabbed her coat and made her way to the bar.

She took a seat at one of the stools at the far end and waved at the dark haired bartender as she placed her purse and coat on the seat beside her.

"Hey Princess" he greeted, leaning across the bar and kissing her on the cheek before settling back on his elbows.

Betty grinned, "What was that for?"

He shrugged, "You look like you needed it, plus it turned that frown upside down so mission accomplished" he beamed, running his hand back through his hair to push the fallen strands from his face.

"Always the charmer, Joaquin" she mused.

"Only for you doll" he winked.

"If only you were straight" she sighed wistfully, making him laugh.

"So what's eating you?" he probed, setting her usual bowl of cherries in front of her before starting on her drink.

"Thanks" she told him, plucking one of the fruit from the bowl, "And it's not what, but who, as always" she huffed.

"Let me guess, Chuck-I'm-Gods-Gift-to-the-World-Clayton" he said sarcastically, as he set her drink on the bar then opened a beer for the man down the way from her, "What did the pompous ass do this time?"

"Same old crap, ' _School's a waste of time', 'I'll take care of you'_ " she said, one hand waving dramatically, _"_ and now he's added threats like _'Remember, I own you'_ " she sighed.

"I don't know why you put up with his bullshit" he stated, shaking his head, "Like seriously, why don't you just tell him to fuck off and quit?"

"You _know_ why Joaquin" she exasperated, "I still owe him money for my GED and he's currently footing the bill for my course, all of which I want to pay him back for as I refuse to be indebted to him forever, plus he owns the apartment I live in and I can't afford a different one as I'm currently stretched thin as it is" she admitted, pausing to take a sip of her cocktail. "So unfortunately, until I can finish up my course and can stand on my own feet, I need him" she resigned.

"Couldn't you get a different job, one that distances you from him a bit?" he questioned.

Betty snorted, "No, besides the fact that there isn't many decent paying job opportunities for someone like me, he already threatened to take everything away, including my course and my apartment, if I ever forget that he ‘owns’ me" she air quoted. "And I can imagine he'd make good on that promise real fast if I ever quit on him."

"Fucking asshole" Joaquin muttered, "that's bordering on abuse, you know that right?"

"I know, and as much as I don't like this whole arrangement, it's currently my only option. I just have to tough it out until I get where I need to be, then I can pay my debt and cut my ties" she said determinedly, Joaquin nodding in response as he filled another drink order.

Betty tapped her nails on the bar top, "Is it terrible that I don't feel guilty?"

He paused, his brow furrowing with confusion, "Guilty about what?" he asked, leaning on his side and elbow against the bar.

"About wanting to cut ties completely" she replied as she worried her bottom lip.

"What? No, it's not like he's your boyfriend or something, and you know as well as I do that Chuck isn't doing any of this out of the goodness of his heart. The only reason he's helping you is because he sees something in it for himself and his business" he told her honestly.

She nodded, "I know, I know you're right, I just can't help but feel a little shitty about it, you know."

"That's because under that tough exterior you put on Betty Cooper, lies a heart of gold" he acknowledged, tapping two fingers against the left side of his chest, "Albeit deep, deep down" he teased.

"Fuck you" she laughed.

"Ah _there_ it is! Shining bright as always" he joked, "But seriously, don't feel bad, he's getting his fair share out of it trust me. Hell, you've almost doubled his clientele, well the male population anyway, and let's be real, yes, the other woman can hold their own, but you my dear are a total smoke show, the main attraction" he rolled his hand with a flare, "And Chuck knows it, and I've seen the way his is with you and he's hoping to get more out of this than just a boost in business if you know what I mean" he alluded, raising his brows at her as he started cutting up limes to replenish the almost empty container.

"Oh trust me _I know_ , he is _anything_ but subtle" she scoffed, "and he definitely doesn't like to be told no" she acknowledged before popping another cherry into her mouth.

Joaquin stopped what he was doing and frowned at her, "What do you mean, what happened?"

Betty looked down as she played with her straw, "Well, before the show tonight he tried to kiss me, but I stopped him, saying he'd ruin my lipstick and he backed off, so I thought the excuse had worked but before he left he grabbed my face and kissed me hard on the mouth before informing me that I don't _get_ to tell him when he can or can't kiss me" she said, rolling her eyes as she tried to appear unaffected.

" _Fucking prick_ , that's sexual harassment Betty" he told her seriously.

"It wasn't that big of a deal Joaquin, really. Sure, he can be…." she paused, trying to find the right words, "aggressively forward and yes, he's definitely getting more 'hands on', but you don't think he'd actually hurt me or force himself on me, do you?" she questioned.

"Honestly Betty, I don't know…just promise me you'll be careful okay? And that you'll tell me if anything else happens" he pleaded, squeezing her hand as he ran his thumb across her knuckles, showing his concern.

"I will" she promised, "Besides Quin, who else would I unload all this shit onto? You are my BFF after all" she smiled at him sweetly, batting her eyes.

"Oh Sweetie, we need to find you a man" he sympathized, shaking his head as he patted her hand, "That's not Chuck" he added.

"Well if you find any decent straight men, you send them my way" she winked.

"Will do" he chuckled, giving her a salute before walking away to help the other server with last call.

 _Elizabeth_ , he mulled, rolling her name through his mind for the hundredth time tonight, securely cementing it to memory. It suited her he thought as he sipped on his drink only half-listening to his friend's discussions while sneaking glances at the blonde now seated at the bar. She was having what looked to be a deep conversation with the bartender while Jughead tried to decide if he should approach her or not, his earlier determination waning.

He had been observing her since she had emerged from backstage, she looked different now, dressed down with her hair up, but there was no mistaking that it was her, and her more casual appearance did nothing to dull her beauty.

He had felt the pull as soon as he'd seen her walk out, like something magnetic, drawing him to her and making him just about jump from his seat; however, he had caught himself, quickly putting the brakes on as he watched the dark haired man lean across the bar and kiss her on the cheek. The gesture planting apprehension in his gut, along with, to his surprise, a feeling of unjustified jealousy towards the stranger.

 _Were they together_ he wondered, watching them banter back and forth as he lit a cigarette and sank further back into the plush booth. _They certainly looked close_ he mused, frowning as the man took her hand and ran his thumb affectionately across the top before letting it go. He continued to smile at her, giving her his complete attention as he listened to what she was saying, laughing out his own reply before giving her a salute and walking away to help the other server.

Jughead wasn't aware that he was staring at her, watching as she twirled her straw in her drink, until he felt the sharp jab of Archie's elbow in his side.

"Dude!" he exclaimed, "If you're not going to go talk to her, you at least need to stop staring because its making you look like a creep" he informed him, quirking an amused brow.

Jug tore his gaze away, clearing his throat as he looked down at where his fingers were spinning his glass against the table top, "I wasn't staring" he muttered before lifting his drink to his lips.

"Man, you've been gawking at her since she walked out" Archie chuckled, "Not that I'm blaming you, she's smokin' hot, hell if I were single—"

"You're _not_ single dear" Veronica clipped, cutting him off.

"I'm well aware" he placated, dropping a quick kiss to the top of her head before continuing, "I'm just saying that I see the appeal" he shrugged turning back to Jug, "Why don't you just go introduce yourself?" he asked, giving his friends shoulder an encouraging bump.

He sighed, knowing full well that Archie wasn't going to drop it, "I was going to, but after watching her…and _no,_ not in a creepy way" he added, "I'm pretty sure she's with that bartender" he resigned, gesturing to the man behind the counter.

Kevin snorted, "She's _sooo_ _not_ with him" he said shaking his head knowingly as everyone turned their attention to him.

"What?" Jug asked hopefully, "How do you know?"

He scoffed at the question, "Because my radar is _impeccable_ Jughead Jones, and that girl is definitely not his type."

"Seriously?!" Josie inquired as she studied the man behind the bar, "You can tell he's gay from all the way over here?" she questioned, raising her brows, "How positive are you?"

"One hundred percent" he said with confidence.

"Wow" she uttered, "That's impressive…but at the same time it makes me sad for the female population" she attested, sighing dreamily.

"May I remind you that you are also not single" Reggie said, a small scowl on his lips.

"I know babe, and apparently it wouldn't even matter if I was" she teased lightly, before kissing the grimace from his face.

Veronica reached over, placing her hand on top of Jughead's to get his attention, " _See_ , just go talk to her Jug, what's the worst thing that could happen?" she coaxed.

"Oh I don't know Ron, how about utter embarrassment, humiliation and brutal rejection, to name a few" he said sarcastically.

"Oh don't be so self-deprecating _Forsythe_ " she scolded, making him cringe at the use of his christian name, "You're intelligent and sweet and you have this whole dark and broody thing working for you" she praised, waving her hand over his body in emphasis, "Any woman would be _damn_ lucky to have you" she encouraged.

"Thanks Ron" he said, giving her a small smile, "But I don't know, maybe I should just leave it—" he trailed off.

" _Oh f_ _or Christ sakes, Pony Boy_ " Reggie cut in, slamming a fist down on the table and startling the group, " _Just grow a fucking pair already and go talk to the girl!_ " he burst out.

" _Jesus_ Reggie!" Josie reprimanded, giving him a displeased look.

"Spoken with true class as always, hey Reg" Jughead retorted, glaring at him.

"He may be crass but he's right Jug" Veronica pointed out.

"Yeah dude, just go talk to her already" Archie added as the rest of the table nodded their agreement.

" _Fiiiine_ " he mumbled in defeat, sliding himself out of the booth, "But if this goes south and we can no longer frequent this fine establishment, you'll only have yourselves to blame" he advised, pointing a finger around the group before turning to make his way towards the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please leave comments!! They are life :)


	3. Ready or Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jug meet, will sparks fly....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lengthy wait, life's been hectic and it's hard writing more than one fic at a time :/
> 
> Please comment below and let me know what you thought, thanks for sticking with it :)

Jughead paused halfway to the bar, second guessing himself again as he watched the gorgeous woman pop another cherry into her mouth while she scrolled through her phone. He glanced back at his table and received encouraging nods and waves that told him to go on, well except for Reggie, who was currently making some obscene gesture at him. Jug rolled his eyes and started for the bar again, attempting to give himself a mental pep talk as he went.  
  
_You can do this, she’s just a regular person like you_ —albeit a blonde goddess of a person with the voice and face of an angel and a body made of sin—who was he kidding, she was so far out of his league they weren’t even playing the same game…he was _so_ dead.  
  
He swallowed as he neared her, wondering if it was too late to turn around and run, which he was seriously contemplating until she looked up and caught his gaze.  His breathe left his body as he froze a few feet from her; even dressed down in her normal attire she was completely stunning.  She raised a curious brow at him when he continued to stand there saying nothing.   _Say something you idiot_ , his mind scolded him; before she thinks you’re some sort of creep.  
  
He cleared his throat as he rubbed a hand nervously across the back of his neck.  “Hi” he smiled shyly, “Do you mind if I sit?” he asked, gesturing to the seat beside her.  
  
She looked him up and down, studying him for a moment before shrugging and nodding to the stool next to her.  
  
“Thanks” he said, sitting down and turning his body towards her, “I’m Jughead by the way” he introduced, offering her his hand to shake.  
  
She gave him a guarded look but took his hand in hers anyway, shaking it lightly, “Jughead?” she questioned.  
  
He nodded, “Jones, the Third actually.”  
  
“Wow” she grinned, still not sure if he was bullshitting her or not, “That’s quite the moniker.”  
  
“The real things worse, trust me” he smiled.  
  
“I’ll take your word for it since you willingly choose to go by Jughead” she chuckled, tilting her head as she studied him again.  “Funny enough, it suits you—in a good way” she added when she saw his smile falter.  “I’m Elizabeth” she offered before dropping his hand that was still in her grasp.  
  
“Just Elizabeth?” he prodded.  
  
She pursed her lips, raking him up and down again, “For now” she enticed, his stomach fluttering at the amusing glint in her eye.  
  
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, _Just Elizabeth_ ” he teased, “Would it seem like I’m trying too hard if I told you that you are extremely talented?” he asked.  
  
“Maybe” she replied, looking down to hide her blush.  
  
“I think I’ll risk it” he flirted, not sure where his confidence was coming from.  “But honestly, my friends and I were blown away by your performance” he praised.  
  
“Thank you, I know it’s not Broadway material or anything but it pays the rent” she told him, giving a half shrug.  
  
“Well I thought you were incredible” he said openly.  
  
She gave him a shy smile before glancing back down at her drink, swirling her straw between her fingers.  “You know…I remember you and your friends, and they did seem to be enjoying themselves” she agreed, “I’m glad.”  
  
“You remember me?” he asked in disbelief.  
  
“Well the hats kind of hard to forget” she informed him, pointing at the beanie atop his head, “Plus, you have really great hair” she smirked, picking up a cherry and popping it into her mouth.  
  
“Uh, thanks” he mumbled, hoping she couldn’t see how his skin flushed as he remembered the way her hand ran through his dark curls.  “So is that what you want to do eventually, Broadway?” he asked.  
  
“Oh no, not at all” she shook her head, “don’t get me wrong, I love singing and performing but it’s not my long term career choice” she admitted, her fingers playing with stem from her cherry.  
  
“So what is?” he inquired, genuinely interested.    
  
She looked at him, trying to decide whether to trust this man or not, but when she didn’t reply right away, he started to apologize.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I know we just met and all” he understood.  And it was that understanding that made her decide to take a chance on him.  
  
“No, it’s okay, it’s not like it’s a secret or anything” she said dismissing his apology before continuing, “I’m currently taking classes to get my degree in Social Work and it’s just…it’s all really new” she divulged.  “And to be honest, money’s a factor—along with a few other things—so I don’t really want to get my hopes up that I’ll actually complete it, you know” she confessed, looking down at her lap.  It was rare for her to open up about herself, especially with strangers, but for some unknown reason she felt like she could with him, like he wouldn’t judge her.  She barely knew the guy and yet she found him extremely easy to talk to.  
  
Betty could feel his eyes on her, and as her deep greens met his stormy blues, she was surprised to find compassion and concern staring back at her, a bright contrast to the pity that she usually received and expected.  
  
“I won’t pretend to know what you’re going through, or what kind of obstacles you face, but if you approach them with the same fire and dedication that you put into your performances, I have no doubt that you’ll succeed” he imparted earnestly.  
  
She dipped her head momentarily to hide the creeping blush that seemed ever so present around this man.  “Well aren’t you quite the charmer” she claimed, smiling at him sweetly, “So tell me Jughead, what is it that _you_ do?”  
  
“I’m a writer, a novelist to be more exact”  
  
“ _Seriously_ , that’s amazing, and it also completely explains your way with words.  Have you written anything that I might know?” she queried.  
  
“Well that depends on the genre you like, I mostly write crime mysteries, my biggest seller thus far was a book called ‘The Death at Sweetwater’ based on the murder of a teenage boy from my hometown” he told her, helping himself to one of her cherries.  
  
Her eyes widened, “ _Holy shit_ , you’re that J. Jones?!  I read your book and it was magnificent!” she exclaimed.  “The darkness and noire, the descriptive imagery and the way you built up the suspense, I felt like I was there, living it right along with them, it truly was masterful” she fawned, “I’m not surprised that it’s your best seller.”  
  
“ _Wow_...thank you, that’s got to be one of the best reviews I’ve ever gotten” he confided, taken aback by her enthusiasm.  
  
“No need to thank me, it’s a completely warranted compliment Mr. J. Jones” she smiled.  
  
“Please, call me Jughead, Mr. Jones makes me sound old” he chuckled.  
  
“Okay then—Jughead, what are you currently working on, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
He returned her smile, flattered that she was even interested as most people didn’t tend to ask him about his work.  “I’m actually working on a few pieces right now for a couple of the magazines and newspapers that often enlist my services.  I write for them on the side as needed; it keeps my name out there and gives me some extra income while I’m in between novels” he told her, “I also have another book in the works but it has a long way to go yet before it will be ready for publishing.”  
  
“That’s great” she told him genuinely, “Maybe you can tell me about your new book sometime”  
she hinted subtly.  
  
“Sure…” he nodded, clearing his throat, “Maybe over coffee one day?” he suggested, hoping he was reading her right.  
  
“I’d like that” she grinned, picking up the last cherry from the bowl; Jughead watched it spin as she twirled the stem between her finger tips.  
  
“You really like cherries huh” he stated, looking at her curiously.  
  
“They’re literally my favorite thing” she gushed, “my one sweet addiction; I’m the reason they always keep a stash behind the bar” she chuckled, pulling the stem out of the cherry before continuing, “I’ve always secretly wished that I could do that knot trick with the stem” she admitted, looking at him, “You know, where you tie a knot in the stem with your tongue, I’ve tried hundreds of times but I just can’t get it” she mused, studying the stem.  
  
“I can do it”  
  
“What?” her eyebrows raising, not sure she heard him right.  
  
“I can do it” he repeated.  
  
“ _Bullshit_ ” she scoffed, her eyes narrowed teasingly, “I don’t believe you” she challenged.  
  
He smirked, holding out his hand for the stem and she placed it in his palm.  He made a show of putting it on his tongue before resting his elbow on the bar and putting his hand up.  He used his fingers like a 5 second countdown as she watched his mouth move to task.  Once his last finger had dropped, he opened his mouth and plucked the perfectly knotted stem from his tongue, a smug smile on his face as he leaned forward and set the stem on the bar top in front of her.  
  
Her eyes widened as she looked from the stem to him in awe, “Well I’ll be damned” she breathed, “I’ve never seen anyone do it in person before. That’s a talented tongue you got there Jones” she flattered, clearly impressed.  
  
“You have no idea Elizabeth” he enticed, swiping the mentioned appendage along his teeth and holding it for a split second at the corner of his mouth.  
  
He was so closed to her now that she could smell the hints of minty body wash, spicy cologne and cigarette smoke that permeated from him.  A wave of warmth heated her skin and his scent, along with the suggestively low lilt of his voice, caused a stirring low in her belly.  
  
A loud throat clearing made her start and pull back from him, bursting them from their lusty bubble.  Jughead, seemingly unaffected, continued to gloat as Betty, clearly flustered and flushed pink, turned towards the person, meeting Joaquin’s curious gaze.  
  
“Um…Joaquin….h-hey” she stuttered, “this is Jughead, a new friend of mine” she introduced, trying to act casual as she motioned towards the man beside her.  
  
“Jughead Jones” he offered, putting his hand out to the bartender in front of him.  
  
“Joaquin DeSantos” he replied, shaking the other man’s hand while blatantly checking him out.  
  
Betty groaned inwardly as her friend practically undressed Jughead with his eyes before raising his brow at her in approval.  Thankfully, instead of being weirded out, Jughead looked to be amused by Joaquin’s openness.  
  
“So—how do you know our dear Elizabeth here?” he questioned.  
  
“We just met actually, I watched her perform earlier and when I saw her sitting here, I decided that I just had to meet this beautiful and talented woman” he answered, sending an appraising glance Betty’s way.  
  
Joaquin’s interest in the stranger piqued further, “She is pretty wonderful, isn’t she” he agreed, giving Betty a quick wink as she shot him a warning look, begging him to behave.  
  
A mischievous grin broke out on his face as he ignored her plea, “So tell me Mr. Tall, Dark and Smooth,” he went on, turning his attention back to the man across from him, “Do you prefer D, or V?” he inquired seriously.  
  
“Uhhh…what?” Jughead asked perplexed as Betty muttered “Oh God” under her breathe.  
  
“D or V— _You knoowww_ …” Joaquin pushed trying to get his point across, “Which way do you swing?  What’s your sexual preference?” he exasperated when he realized the man wasn’t picking up his cues.  
  
“ _Jesus Joaquin_ , you can’t just ask someone that!” Betty reproached, turning red as Jughead looked at her with an expression that asked if her friend was serious or not.  
  
“Why not?” he said with indignation, “Inquiring minds need to know, or have you forgotten that I’m newly single?” he huffed with mock offence.  
  
Jughead choked out a laugh, “I’m flattered, really” he said, “But you’re not my type, sorry.”  
  
“Figures” he sighed, “Let me guess, you’re more into the Hitchcock blonde/Sandra Dee types?”  
  
“Something like that” Jughead grinned.  
  
Joaquin smirked at Betty, “Interesting….” he drawled, “Well, I’m sorry to break up this little meeting, but the bar is closing” he notified.  “Do you need me to walk you home Doll Face?” he asked Betty, “I’ll be a bit closing up but if you want to wait, I can go with you once I’m finished.”  
  
“Thanks but I’ll be fine” she assured him as she grabbed her jacket and slid off the stool.  
  
“Are you sure?  It _is_ 2am in New York—even if it’s not that far you shouldn’t be out there alone” he stated, his brows furrowing with concern.  
  
“I can walk you home” Jughead cut in, surprising her as he took her coat and held it open for Betty to slide into.  
  
“That’s sweet of you Jughead but I don’t want to put you out or anything” she told him timidly, “It’s honestly not that far” she insisted.  
  
“It’s no problem really, I want to” he persisted.  
  
“Alright” she gave in, finding it almost impossible to resist his smile.  
  
“Great” he grinned widely, “Just give me a second to grab my jacket and tell my friends I’m leaving, okay” he told her, taking a couple steps backwards, “Don’t you go anywhere” he demanded lightly, winking at her before turning and disappearing into the sea of faces.  
  
Betty released her lip, unaware that she had been holding it shyly between her teeth as she watched him walk away.  She turned back to Joaquin to find him grinning wickedly at her.  
  
“What?” she asked innocently.  
  
“You like him” he declared.  
  
“Don’t be ridiculous” she fibbed, “I barely know him.”  
  
Joaquin crossed his arms, “Betty….” he grilled, calling her bluff.  
  
“ _Okay!_  Maybe a little” she flamed, “But it doesn’t matter, you know Chuck would freak out if I went out with someone, let alone a customer” she resigned.  
  
“ _Fuck Chuck!_ ” he scowled, “That pompous ass runs enough of your life; it’s about time that you did something for you!  And honey, that modern day James Dean is a hell of a place to start!” he proclaimed.  
  
Betty couldn’t help but laugh at his antics, “Wow, you’re really committed to this” she razzed.  
  
“Betty— _look at him!_ ” he cried as he pointed to where Jughead was standing, shrugging his leather jacket over his shoulders, “That right there, is the _epitome_ of sexy, and for obvious reasons, he’s interested in you!  So you need to pull up your big girl panties, take that bull by the horns and—“  
  
Betty raised a hand to stop him, “I get it Joaquin” she giggled.  
  
“Good” he nodded as he watched Jughead make his way back to them, “God you guys would make beautiful babies” he whispered.  
  
“Joaquin!” she reprimanded, “I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself” she laughed.  
  
“Just imagine….his dark curls, your green eyes, both of your dimples, perfection” he sighed.  
  
“ _SSHHH!_ ” she hissed, swatting at him playfully, “He’ll hear you” she whispered back as Jughead popped back out of the crowd.  
  
“Hey, so are you ready go?” he asked.  
  
“Absolutely” she said, smiling up at him as she grabbed her purse.  
  
“Hey Jones” Joaquin piped up, catching Jug’s attention before they could leave, “Make sure to take care of my girl, yeah” he told him, holding his gaze.  
  
Jughead heard the subtle warning in his tone and nodded his understanding at the same time that Betty glared at him, also picking up on the underlying message.  
  
“ _Goodnight_ Quin” she said, her voice full of fake sweetness while her look told him to shut the hell up.  
  
“Night Darlin’— _be safe_ ” he chirped with a wink, making her turn a deep shade of scarlet.  
  
“ _Omigod_ ” she mortified under her breath, practically pulling Jughead towards the door before her chuckling friend could embarrass her any further.  
  
“I’m _not_ going to sleep with you by the way” she informed him blatantly when she noticed the smug grin pulling at the side Jughead’s mouth.  
  
“Never assumed you were” he replied coyly as they stepped out of the bar and into the cold. “Not that the idea isn’t extremely appealing” he teased, making her heart stutter, “But I usually like to know a girl’s last name first, and maybe take her to dinner, before I take her to bed” he divulged, turning so that he was standing in front of her.  
  
He stood close enough that Betty could feel the heat coming off of his body, and she swallowed when his gaze flicked down to her lips, stirring a whole new kind of heat within her.  She ran her tongue nervously over her bottom lip, his eyes darkening as they followed the movement, making her visibly shiver in response.  
  
“Here” he said softly, removing his jacket and wrapping it around her, assuming that her tremble was from the cold.    
  
It was soft and warm and smelt of musky leather and him and she inhaled deeply before speaking, “What about you?” she asked, “Won’t you be cold?”  
  
“I’ll be alright” he told her, rubbing her arms gently through her layers.  
  
Jughead glanced at her mouth again, weighing whether or not he should throw caution to the wind and just kiss her because _God_ he wanted to.  He stilled his hands on her shoulders, the electricity palatable between them, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she would taste like the sweet cherries she loved so much.    
  
It didn’t help that she had pulled that damn lip back between her teeth again, a move that seemed to make his groin twitch and his heart thump.  He took in her pinkened cheeks and the way her breath quickened with each passing moment, and hoped that she feeling whatever this was too as he stepped even closer to her.  

He gently cupped her face with one hand, running a thumb along her jaw to her chin and releasing her lip as he swept the pad of his thumb across the plump edge.  He stroked the apple of her cheek as he leaned in, pausing just short of their noses touching, and searched her eyes for any sort of hesitation, grinning when he didn’t find any as her lashes fluttered closed.    
  
He dropped one hand to her waist as he slid the other back to lightly grasp the nape of her neck and he could feel her pulse hammering against his palm as he brushed the tip of his nose lightly against hers.  Jughead felt like he was dreaming as he licked his lips and leaned in, his own heart drumming in anticipation.    
  
The moment was perfect; or at least it would have been if it hadn’t been abruptly severed by the sound of glass clattering across pavement, effectively reminding them where they were and breaking them from their spell.    
  
Jughead swore silently to himself as he looked towards the source; a discarded beer bottle still spinning on its side a few feet from them, most likely kicked or tossed by the drunk couple that had exited the bar and now hung lazily from each other as they stumbled down the alleyway.  
  
He stepped back and rubbed a hand self-consciously across the back of his neck, the earlier mood clearly lost from the interruption.  “I…uh” he faltered before clearing his throat and continuing, “Maybe I should get you home, it’s getting late” he lamented, smiling at her as he tried to keep the disappointment from his voice.  
  
Betty nodded, returning his smile shyly as her own disappointment danced briefly across her face, “Yeah” she said softly, finding her voice, “That’s probably a good idea…come on Romeo, I’m this way” she lightened, pulling him along by his arm.  
  
They strolled in silence until the awkwardness of their almost kiss had melted away and they fell easily back into a playful banter, keeping the conversation light; discussing books and movies and work.  They continued to flirt and poke fun and laugh with each other, appearing to anyone they passed, like a young couple in love.    
  
And at one point, when their shoulders had bumped together while avoiding another couple on the sidewalk, Betty had casually thread her arm through his, placing her hand just below his elbow like it belong there, her touch sending a shock of electricity straight to Jughead’s spine.  He smiled down at her and laid his other hand over hers, leaving it there until Betty had stopped—all too soon—in front of an older four story brick apartment building.  
  
“This is me” she told him, dropping his arm and climbing the first step towards the door before turning around to face him, the extra height of the stair bringing her face level with his.    
  
Her nerves were back and she wasn’t quite sure how to proceed now that they had reached their destination.  Her heart and body were screaming at her to invite him in; however, her much louder and more practical brain, was telling her that it was too soon, and her mind always ruled over her heart.  
  
“Thank you, for walking me home” Betty expressed, taking off his jacket and handing it back to him when she noticed his slight shiver.  
  
“It was my pleasure—really” he told her, shrugging back into the warm leather which now smelled faintly like sweet vanilla.  
  
“Well, it was very sweet of you” she said softly before leaning forward and placing a warm chaste kiss to his cold cheek.  “Goodnight, _Jughead Jones_ ” she parted before climbing the remaining stairs to the door.  
  
“Wait!” he thrust out, “Can I call you?”

“Probably” she answered coyly, “if you had my number.”

He chuckled at her playfulness, “Well can I have your number?” he asked hopefully.

“Maybe” she grinned, tongue in cheek, “But until then—you know where to find me” she tempted as she pulled open the door behind her.

 _Yeah, yeah I do_ he thought, smirking widely at her as he shoved his numb hands into his pants pockets.  

“I’ll see you soon, Juliet” he bid as he walked backwards towards the direction they came.  
  
“Hey Jug” she called out as he started to turn away; the shortened form of his name falling naturally from her lips.

“Yeah?” he stopped, raising a brow in question.

“My friends call me Betty—Betty Cooper” she told him, biting her lip shyly while trying to calm the butterflies fluttering throughout her tummy.

Jughead beamed, his own stomach mimicking hers as he held her gaze and continued on his backwards retreat.  “Sweet dreams... _Betty Cooper_ ” he spoke softly, giving her one last wink before walking away, whistling quietly as he went.

 _Betty Cooper,_ he repeated to himself—already sure that this woman and her damn mouth would be the end of him— _but oh what a way to go_ he grinned, skipping off of the sidewalk as he made his way across the street and into the night.

Betty shut her apartment door and flicked the deadbolt into place before leaning back against it, her giddiness bursting from her in a quiet giggle. “ _Oh Jughead Jones_ —you’re going to be the death of me” she whispered into the darkness.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts??? 
> 
> I'm not quite sure where this is going completely as it started as a one shot that popped in my head and I am writing it with no outline, so really anything could happen. If you have something you'd like to see in this story, let me know :)
> 
> Thanks for reading and please feed my writer's heart with comments :)


	4. Angel Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bugheads first date...kind of lol
> 
> Betty’s dress can be seen here: 
> 
> http://www.irockbags.com/sexy-plunging-neck-short-sleeve-lace-hollow-out-bodycon-dress-for-women-blue
> 
> And the song in the pub is Angel Eyes by The Jeff Healey Band and can be heard here:
> 
> https://youtu.be/qBLOC2OMJGM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again...I am sorry for the ridiculous wait for updates, unfortunately between my busy 'real life' schedule and alternating my story updates, I haven't been able to reel them in to be any quicker. Thank you, thank you to everyone who continues to read, and for the long wait, I have done a long chapter just for you....9200 words!
> 
> PS. not all chapters will be this length :D
> 
> Enjoy!

“Two weeks Joaquin!” Betty exclaimed, “It’s been two weeks since Jughead walked me home and nothing…he hasn’t been back once” she deflated, sinking into the bar stool and folding her arms on the bar top.

“Relax Betts, he’s probably just been busy, that’s all” Joaquin reasoned.

“Or maybe I shouldn’t have been so damn stubborn and just given him my number instead of making him come find me like a goddamn game of hide and seek” she grumbled, upset with herself.  “He probably thought that the chase wasn’t worth it and decided just to cut his losses” she said, worrying her bottom lip.

He gave her an exasperated look, “I doubt that’s what happened, that boy was smitten” he stated leaning on his own arms across from her.

“Yeah…I thought he was too...but he probably has tons of woman interested in him, ones who aren’t playing hard to get.   _Like_ you saw him, he’s _gorgeous_!  And I totally fucked it up” she cried, dropping her head into her arms in a sulk.

“ _Hey_ , don’t do that” he scolded, lifting her chin, “Look at me Betty... _you are gorgeous_ …or have you not looked in the mirror lately, and you’re smart and funny and if he’d rather spend his time chasing easy floozies instead of you than he’s not worth your time or your tears, you hear me?” he pressed.

She nodded, “I just _really_ liked him Quin…we had this connection, I don’t know how to describe it or explain it…it’s something i’ve never felt it before” she sighed.

“I know Sweetie” he sympathized, “Here” he said, flipping a shot glass onto the counter in front of her and filling it with three different kinds of liquor, “A little pick me up before you have to go on stage” he offered, pushing it towards her.

“Thanks” she told him, taking the glass and tossing it back, the smooth liquid sliding easily down her throat.  “ _Omigod_ , that’s so good!” she boosted, “It tastes just like cherries, except with a bit of heat thrown in” she claimed, eyes wide, “What’s it called?”

“That my dear, is a Cherry Bomb; sweet with a little bit of spice and smoke underneath, something I put together one night with you in mind because every star needs a signature shot” he winked, taking the glass from her and setting it on the wash rack behind him.  

“Well its delectable” she praised, licking her lips.

“Just.like.you Betty Babe” he teased, bopping her nose with his finger.

“Flattery will get you everywhere DeSantos” she grinned, hopping off her seat, “Now I better get my butt back stage and get ready before Chuck starts looking for me.  But thank you, for the pep talk, and the shot and the ego stroking” she said, giving his hand a quick squeeze.

“Anytime” he returned, “and don’t worry about Jughead, he’ll be back” he said confidently, “He’d be stupid not to… _Now go_ ” he shooed, swatting her behind with the rag that was over his shoulder, “Get your ass to make up before you bring the wrath of Charles Clayton down on us both” he teased, chuckling when she stuck her tongue out at him before walking away.  

He shook his head fondly as he watched her go, she was his best friend, and like most best friends, he had mad love for her and he hated to see her spirit so broken down over a guy when she had already been through so much in her life.   _Betty Cooper was a woman meant to be cherished, not forgotten_ he thought bitterly as he headed towards the patron waving him down.  “Jughead Jones better fucking come through” he mumbled quietly to himself before addressing the guy at the bar, “Hey, what can I get you?”

~*~

It was just after eleven when Jughead wandered into the Blue Note, the smoky warmth clinging to him as soon as he was through the door.  The place was so packed that he couldn’t see the stage yet but he knew that Betty was the one currently performing by the heavenly sound that was flowing through the speakers.  She’s singing a bluesy rendition of a Taylor Swift song, which is something he thought shouldn’t work but it does, and his heart is beating faster already just from the sound of her voice.

He took a breath before heading towards the bar.   _Keep it together man, you haven’t even seen her yet and you’re already falling apart_ he berated himself, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.  

The same bartender from the other night was serving at the opposite end of the bar and Jug raised his hand in a slight wave when the man noticed him take a seat.

 _What was his name again?  Jack…Jaxson….no, that’s not it….Joaquin_ he thought as the gentleman headed his way.

“Why, _Jughead Jones_ ” he clucked, “I thought you maybe forgot about us here at the Note” he insinuated, one brow quirked in question as he leaned forward, placing his hands on the edge of the bar top.

“Not a chance” Jug answered, his body half turned away as his eyes sought out and locked on Betty, following her as she mingled through the crowd.  She was even more stunning than he remembered in a royal blue lace dress that showcased her amazing legs and dipped to a low V in the front, the fabric clinging to her in all the right places and moving with her like a second skin as she sashayed her hips; and Jug found himself blatantly staring.  Thankfully, she hadn’t noticed him yet, not that he had expected her to pick him out across the room anyway; and for once in his life, he was glad to be invisible because it saved him the embarrassment of her seeing the dopey grin on his face.

Joaquin spoke, snapping Jug’s attention back to the man that he had momentarily forgotten about, “That’s a good answer Jones, because you had my girl worried there for a minute” her friend disclosed, holding his gaze while he dried a glass tumbler, “And it would have been a shame to have to mess up that pretty face of yours” he forewarned, only somewhat kidding.  

Jughead swallowed before clearing his throat, “Uh yeah…we wouldn’t want that” he agreed quickly, looking down.  He felt a twinge of guilt at the fact that he had worried her, but he also couldn’t help the small grin that graced his features at the idea of Betty missing him.  Just knowing that she was thinking about him too over the last couple of weeks caused a small wave of happiness to spread through his chest.

“Sooo, where’ve you been hiding lately?” Joaquin probed, not caring if he was being nosy, not when his best friend’s heart was involved.

“I was out of town, just got back this morning” Jughead answered easily, which seemed to placate the man as he didn’t pry any further.

“I imagine you’re staying for a while, yeah?” he asked, flipping a clean glass up on the bar when Jug nodded, “Okay then, what’s your poison?”

“Jack and coke, thanks—with lime” he added, turning around again to watch Betty.  Her last song had just ended and she waved and blew kisses at the crowd before she exited the stage, an uproar of cheers and applause following her departure.

He swivelled back towards the bar and took a sip of his drink, relishing as the warmth of the whiskey slipped down his throat before pulling a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, “Do you mind?” he asked Joaquin, motioning with his smoke.

“Not at all” he replied, pulling out an ashtray from behind the bar and setting it in front of him, “So…Jughead, what exactly are your intentions with our Betty?” he pried, leaning over to light the cigarette dangling from his mouth when he saw the man struggling to locate his lighter.  “Are you looking to make friends...maybe more...maybe _both_ …or are you just looking for a quick fuck” he questioned boldly.

“Wow” Jughead chuckled, “I wasn’t expecting the _intentions with my daughter_ talk so soon” he joked around his cigarette as it hung from his lips.  “I expected to get at least one date in before meeting the parents” he quipped, blowing his smoke away from the pair.

“Well...Betty doesn’t have any parents, or family for that matter, it’s just me so you don’t have to worry—” he paused, closing his eyes as he swore, “ _Shit_ …please don’t tell her I told you that” he pleaded, “Betty’s an extremely private person and she’d kill me if she knew I just opened my big mouth.”

“Yeah, no problem, don’t worry about it” he reassured, his mind slightly reeling as it took in the information.  In the short amount of time that he had spent with Betty, he had already formed an incredibly high opinion of her and the idea of her being all alone in this world caused a feeling of sadness to settle within his heart.  “Look, I know you said you shouldn’t say anything, but I can’t help but wonder _why_?  Why is someone that is so talented and spirited and beautiful all alone?” he pondered.

Joaquin shook his head, "Uh uh, nice try but nope, I already said too much" he stated, making the motion like he was locking his lips, "All I can tell you is that Betty's had a hard go at...well... _life,_ and she doesn't trust easily or let people in very often if at all; the rest is her story to tell, sorry man" he shrugged.

Jughead nodded, "Yeah, no, I get it, and I'm glad she has you to look out for her, everyone needs at least one person they can trust and confide in" he commended, snuffing out his cigarette before adding, “And for the record...it’s the former.”

"What is?" Joaquin asked in confusion as Jug tipped the rest of his drink back.

He set the glass back down and slid it across the top towards the bartender, "My answer, to you're question” he replied, “You asked if I was looking for a relationship or just a quick fuck...it's the former" he told him honestly.

The other man eyed him for a moment before nodding his approval, "You're alright Jones" he grinned before turning serious again, "Just don't fucking break her heart, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, and just so you know, I have zero intention of doing that" he promised.  

"Good to hear....now, onto other important topics; you wouldn’t happen to have any single friends that are more... _my type,_ would you?" he delved, wiggling his eyebrows and making Jug laugh.

~*~

Betty had finished her shift for the evening but on a whim decided not to change, choosing instead to stay in her dress just in case a certain beanie wearing gentleman happened to show up.  She knew of course that it wasn’t likely, and that was silly to get her hopes up but she couldn't help it, for some reason she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame and for once in her life she found herself not caring if she got burnt.   

She did a final check of her makeup and tamed her curls before applying a shimmery gloss to her lips and straightening her dress in the mirror.  After a quick appraisal of her whole look she smiled and headed out to the lounge.

She saw Joaquin having an animated conversation near the other end of the bar and was about to wave at him to catch his attention when she noticed the other person laughing across from him.  She felt the air abandon her lungs as she watched him; smiling and gesturing with his hands as he conversed with her friend.  Joaquin must have said something funny, as Jughead threw back his head in a laugh, a dark curl escaping from under his hat and falling haphazardly across his forehead.   _He really is beautiful_ she thought as those pesky butterflies erupted in her stomach once again _._ She knew that that wasn't the most 'manly' of terms to use, but there was really no other way to describe him; yes he was undeniably handsome, but there was just something about him…something that made him so much more than _handsome_.   

She allowed herself a few more moments to calm her nerves and appreciate him from afar before she made her way over to them; and they were both so engaged in their discussion that they didn’t even notice her approaching until she spoke.

“Jug?” she interrupted, bringing both men’s attention to her.

Joaquin smirked and gave her a wink before moving to work the other end of the bar; subtly leaving the two of them alone, but Betty barely noticed her friend’s departure as her vibrant greens locked with the ocean blues in front of her.  He grinned, standing from his chair and she bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her own smile in check.

She shivered involuntarily as his appreciative gaze swept over her before he spoke, “Hey you” he drawled as he took her hand and pulled her gently into him, “You look beautiful Betts” he whispered at the shell of her ear, his warm breath on her neck making her pulse quicken.

“Thank you” she blushed, stepping back from his embrace, “You don’t look too bad yourself” she appraised, running her fingers down the lapels of his leather jacket.

“This old thing...” he urged, “is _nothing_ compared to that dress” he insisted as he lifted her hand and twirled her slowly, a low whistle escaping his lips and making her giggle.

“I’m really glad that you came” she said softly, “I was a little worried that I maybe played a little _too_ hard to get” she chuckled.

“Nonsense, I like a challenge” he smiled, “and honestly, neither Hell nor high water couldn’t have kept me away.”

“So, umm...not to be nosy or anything, but why did you…stay away I mean” she asked shyly.

“I had to go up to Boston and I just got back this morning” he told her, noticing the look of relief that washed over her face.  “ _Believe_ me _,_ my absence had absolutely _nothing_ to do with you” he assured as he stepped in closer, reaching so that his fingertips of one hand brushed against hers.  “ _You—_ Betty Cooper, have quite the opposite effect on me actually...it’s much more of a pull then a push” he admitted, wanting to ease the anxiety that, thanks to Joaquin, he knew she had felt as she waited for him to show up night after night.

She blushed again, “Well, if it helps...the _effect_ is mutual” she divulged as she squeezed his hand, her confidence emboldened by his confession.

“Yeah…that is definitely... _encouraging_ ” he said mischievously as he leaned forward, his free hand reaching up to gently cup her neck and jaw before brushing his lips against hers in a soft, tentative kiss that left her tingling and yearning for more as her body came alive, ready to give chase as it started to protest his retreat before it even happened.  But instead of pulling away, he held her face close, their noses brushing as they shared breath; he was waiting, waiting for any sort of indication that he may have crossed a line, but when it didn’t come he swiftly drew her back to him, swallowing her gasp as she dropped his hand and grabbed a hold of his jacket, her fingers curling into the leather as she pulled him to her.  

Jug grasped her hip, spurred on by her reaction, and his fingers flexed and squeezed as he held her tightly against him; his lips moving with hers in a thorough kiss before he broke away, not wanting to make too much of a scene in the middle of her work place.  

Sighing, he rested his forehead on hers, the kiss leaving them both struggling for air as they shared the same oxygen, breathing each other in while they waited for their heart rates to return to normal.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the night I met you” he confessed, rubbing his thumb along her cheek.

“Me too” she exhaled, a grin pulling at the corner of her lips.

He gave her another quick peck before leaning back just enough to catch her eyes, “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked.

Betty giggled, “Why Jughead Jones, are you propositioning me?” she feigned surprise as she quirked a brow at him.

He chuckled, “Well, if you consider an invitation to go somewhere a little quieter so I can get to know you a proposition, then yes, yes I am” he grinned as he brushed her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers trail through her curls before coming to rest on her shoulder.  

”You are very smooth, do you know that” she teased, straightening out his jacket where she had pulled it askew during their kiss.

 _Oh_ _if she only knew how wrong she was_ he thought to himself as he took in the beautiful woman in front of him.  He may appear cool and collected on the outside, but his insides were a tangle of knots and he had no idea where his confidence was coming from.  There was just something about Betty that seemed to bring it out in him and he wasn’t complaining in the least.

“So is that a yes?” he grinned hopefully.

“No” she shook her head playfully as she grabbed his jacket once again and lifted to her tiptoes, “ _This…_ ” she whispered before brushing another kiss to his lips, “ _is a yes_ ” she responded, smiling up at him innocently.

It was his turn to blush, slightly flustered by her boldness, “Uhh…yeah, great….good answer” he stumbled, clearing his throat.

Betty giggled at his fumbling, “Just let me say goodbye to Quin and grab my stuff and I’ll be ready to go” she told him, “Be right back” she parted with a kiss to his cheek before taking off in Joaquin’s direction.

He watched as she stopped to talk to Joaquin, he could see her lips moving rapidly and she gestured towards him which caused her friend to turn and meet his gaze for a moment before turning his attention back to Betty and saying something that elicited a laugh and a playful smack to his shoulder from her.  They exchanged a few more words before she hopped up, bracing herself against the bar top as she placed a quick kiss to his cheek before bouncing back to her feet and giving a small wave as she hurried through the doorway to the back.

Jughead couldn’t help but grin, his mind and body humming with pure anticipation at the prospect of getting to spend more time with her.  He inhaled and let out a large breath, trying to calm his nervous excitement; he was a grown man but Betty had him feeling like he was sixteen again and he wasn’t sure what to do with that.  “ _Just relax”_ he told himself quietly, “ _and for god sakes don’t fuck this up Jug”_ he added as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Hey Romeo” someone spoke behind him and he turned around to find Joaquin leaning on the bar, “Sorry to break up this little pep talk you’re having with yourself” he mused, making Jug flush with embarrassment for being caught, “but I just wanted to remind you about what I said earlier, _don’t_ —”

“Hurt her” he cut him off, “I know, and like I said before, the concept isn’t even in my realm of possibilities” he promised.

“That’s good….I like you Jones, and I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, don’t make me regret it” he warned.

Jughead nodded his understanding, “Got it.”

“Also” he added, grinning now, “Calm the fuck down and relax, just be yourself….she already likes you man, the hard parts over” he chuckled, giving him a hard slap to the shoulder before sauntering away.

Jug leaned back against the bar, chuckling to himself at the other man’s blunt encouragement while he waited for Betty to return.  It wasn’t long before he saw her blond head pop back out of the crowd and he smiled when she reached him.

“You ready to go” she asked, returning his smile.

“Definitely” he replied, taking her hand.

~*~

They had decided on a small pub around the corner and within minutes found themselves seated in a quiet booth near the back, their order for a basket of onion rings to share and a burger for him already placed.  They gave their bar orders to the waitress while they waited for their food and when she came back with their drinks, Jug couldn’t resist playfully poking fun at Betty as her cocktail arrived topped with cherries.  They immediately fell into an easy conversation which continued as they ate, Betty asking more about his work and he asking about her schooling, but once they had finished their meal and replenished their drinks, Jug decided to try and delve a little deeper.

“So…tell me more about Betty Cooper” he probed.

“There’s really not that much to tell” she insisted, “I’m really pretty boring actually, when I’m not working, I’m either studying, or hanging out with Joaquin or just vegging in front of the TV mostly” she said, shrugging one shoulder nonchalantly and looking at her drink as she swirled the straw around the glass.

“I don’t believe for a second that you’re boring Betty…independent, careful, and guarded _…_ yeah, _maybe_ ” he ventured, putting his hand over hers and squeezing it gently when her head shot up, surprised by how easily he could read her.  “And that’s _okay_ —I enjoy my own space and privacy too—but I also like the idea of having someone to share things with sometimes, even if it’s just the TV remote as we argue over what we’re going to watch on Netflix” he chuckled, the flame of hope in his chest burning brighter at the small smile he managed to pull from her.  

“I don’t have very many close friends and I don’t trust all that easy either” he continued, “and you don’t have to confide in me or tell me anything you don’t want to, but I need you to know that you can…that you can _trust_ me; and I know that we just met and this all might sound crazy and send you running for the hills but I just…there’s something _here_ Betts” he insisted, motioning between them, “I can feel it, hell I felt it the moment I saw you up on stage, and if you’ll let me, I want to become someone that you feel you can share things with” he told her genuinely, keeping his grip on her hand as if he was scared she’d actually run away.  

She was looking at him and chewing on her bottom lip and he couldn’t decipher what she could possibly be thinking as he studied her face for a reaction.  “Christ, you probably think I’m absolutely nuts” he scoffed, looking away and rubbing his free hand nervously over the back of his neck as he went to release her hand, only to be surprised when she turned hers over and gripped onto to him, lacing their fingers together to hold him in place.

“Are you done yet?” she teased softly, and he nodded his head, swallowing his earlier apprehension as he noticed a soft expression grace her face.  “Good…because if you’re crazy then so am I because I feel it too, and I—I want to let you in, _I do_ —it’s just, it’s not that easy for me, and it might take me awhile to get there” she confessed, “But please don’t think that that reflects on you at all, because it doesn’t.  I _want_ you to know me Jug, and I want to get to know you too” she told him, wrapping her other hand around their entwined fingers.

“Okay” he said easily.

She smiled brightly, “Okay??  Just like that?”

“Just like that” he confirmed, leaning across the table and kissing her softly.  “So, how about this” he started when they pulled apart, “whenever we spend time together, we agree to tell each other one truth about ourselves, something that not a lot of people know, and in return the other person will share one of theirs.  And then, once we’ve built some trust, we can take a stab at sharing more than one" he suggested encouragingly.  "Also....maybe we could ask each other a question too, _but_ the other person can choose to veto the question and not to answer if it makes them uncomfortable, does that all sound alright?” he asked, hoping she’d agree.

She thought for a moment before nodding, “Alright”

“Great, then umm...I’ll go first, and anytime you feel up to it tonight, you share yours, okay?” to which she nodded again.

“Now where to start” he thought out loud, rubbing a thumb across her knuckles as he pondered, debating what he should share with her that may possibly make her feel better about opening up but at the same time not lay all his vulnerabilities out there for her to see.  She squeezed his hand and gave him an supportive smile which he returned before taking a sip of his drink and biting the bullet.

"Okay….so I feel lonely a lot too, and not just because I choose to be, but because choices that were made by other people that affected my life" he paused, wetting his lips before continuing.  "When I was fifteen, my dad went to jail for drug trafficking and my mom took off with my little sister Jellybean, leaving me behind because I reminded her too much of her useless alcoholic husband apparently" he said bitterly, looking down at their joined hands as he played with her fingers.  "Anyway, I ended up crashing with my friend Archie and his dad until Social Services caught wind of it and unfortunately Fred didn't have the financial means required to keep me, so they put me into a foster home, and it was alright I guess" he shrugged, "the people were nice but I had to transfer schools and it took me away from the few friends I had...and it was hard at first, and I grew bitter and lashed out and made some pretty shitty choices, but lucky for me, I had a few people who didn’t give up on me and would call me out on my bullshit, and I eventually made a couple of friends at my new school that helped me navigate the southside, and Arch and his girlfriend Veronica never forgot about me either, which I totally expected them too, as I was in a pretty dark place for a while and I wouldn't have blamed them if they had decided to cut ties, but they stuck around, made sure to keep me ingrained within their group, and the moment I turned 18 and graduated, I moved with them to New York and enrolled in creative writing at NYU.  It's not like I wasn't thankful for my foster family, because I was, they had given me a lot of chances and support when they could have just given up, and I could have found myself put into a far worse place, but still, it just, it never felt like home you know" he finished, waiting a beat before finally looking up to gauge her reaction, his brow furrowing in concern when he saw that her eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

"Hey, hey" he soothed, getting up and sliding in next to her on her side, he put one arm around her and grabbed her hand with his other, rubbing his thumb along the top, "What is it?  What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing" she released in a watery exhale, feeling silly for getting so emotional over his story.  "It's just...I'm sorry you had to go through all that Jug, and I...I get it, I _understand...._ more than you know" she sighed, placing a kiss to his lips before laying her head on his shoulder.

He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, "Maybe someday you'll tell me about it, hmm?"

"Maybe" she echoed softly, playing with the buttons on his shirt.  "So have you seen them since...your mom and your sister I mean?" she asked.

"Not my mom, I don't really have any interest in reconnecting with her and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual, but I talk to Jellybean at least once a week now.  She used to live in Toledo with our mom but she just moved to Boston for college, to study fashion design of all things" he guffawed, "That's where I was, I went down to Toledo to pick her up and then took her to Boston and helped her get settled and everything" he filled in.

"That was sweet of you Jug.”

He shrugged, "She's the only family I have, that I acknowledge anyway, besides Arch and V."

"Well, it's still sweet, regardless if she’s family or not" she said, after which they sat in silence for a few minutes, him pulling her closer as she cuddled further into his chest, his fingers absentmindedly running up and down her arm.

"Hey Jug" she broke the comfortable silence.

"Yeah?"

"What's your real name?" she pried.

He chuckled, "What makes you think that Jughead _isn't_ my real name?" he teased.

She sat up and looked at him doubtfully, "Really??  You expect me to believe that  your parents were cruel enough to name you and your sister Jughead and Jellybean?"

Jug laughed, "No, they named us worse actually" he hinted, "But I think I'm going to have to veto that one for now...besides, I'm pretty sure you're past your question quota for the evening unless I get some juicy information in return" he kidded, raising his brow at her.  

"You're right, that would only be fair" she said with resolve before looking down at her lap and going quiet.

Jug crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face back to his, grazing his knuckles across her cheek, "Betts" he said softly, "regardless what we agreed on, I would never push you to do or say anything that you don't want to or that makes you uncomfortable" he eased.

"I know, I _know_ that…and it’s okay, I want to...I just needed to collect my thoughts on where to start as well" she assured.  "And I guess I may as well continue with your theme..." she swallowed, steeling her nerve as she pushed forward, "I’m lonely too...a lot" she admitted, her eyes burning into his, "but also not because I choose to be, but because of tragic circumstances that also landed me into the foster care system...unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to get one of the good homes" she revealed, her voice growing tight with emotion, driving Jug wrap her in his arms and pull her to him, holding her as she went on.  "Actually, I got a _lot_ of bad ones....and...and a lot of not so great things happened at those houses....which is how I wound up living on the streets, caring for myself at an age that no child should have to" she sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

Jug kissed her temple, holding his lips to her skin as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to push down the disgust and the anger that he felt at towards people that he didn't even know, for travesties that he wasn't even aware yet.  "How old were you?" he asked, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

"Fourteen."

"Jesus, I'm so sorry baby" he expressed, the sentiment falling easily from his lips, "What about Social Services, didn't they do anything?"

She scoffed, "I went to my worker when I left my last home, told him what had happened, why I wanted to leave, and he basically told me that it was my fault and that I had run out of housing options and to just suck it up and be a good girl so they wouldn't kick me out before I turned 18.  Needless to say, I didn't heed his advice, instead I left his office and headed straight to the bus station and used all the money I had for a ticket.  I ended up having just enough to get me to New York, so that's how I ended up here, and I've just never had a reason to leave.  They have some good options here for homeless youth; there’s shelters and food banks and work programs....and the subway always provided a warm, dry place to sleep if you needed.  That's where I began singing, as a busker, trying to make whatever money I could, and that's where Chuck found me....he was the first person to help me out, to offer me something that didn't come with some sort of sexual condition attached.  He may be a conceited ass" she admitted, "but I owe him a lot….if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have a place to sleep or a job, and I wouldn't be studying for my Social Work degree, but long story short, my experiences is what made me want to get into social work in the first place.  Someday, I would like to be a child advocate, to be the voice for the children in the system whose voices aren't being heard, to be that person who believes in them, who actually cares about them....the kind of person I desperately needed but never had....anyway, you can see why I don't trust that easily" she ended, wiping one last tear from her cheek before pulling back and gazing up at him again.

She was so used to seeing pity from others but instead, she was met with a look of admiration and respect and she felt her infatuation for the man in front of her exploding into something else.  He cupped her face with both hands and leaned in, kissing her long and passionate as he tried to pour all the feeling he could into it.  He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, asking for permission to taste her for the first time, which she granted, sighing into his mouth as his tongue brushed against hers, twirling them together as she wrapped her arms around his torso, grasping onto the fabric at his back.  His mind was spinning, and it felt like she was setting him aflame as her nails trailed back and forth over his shirt, he was absolutely lost in her until the sound of a glasses clinking followed by a rowdy cheer brought him back to the present.  He pulled away, leaving them both breathless as he leaned his forehead against hers, "My God Betts, please believe me when I say that you are _amazing_ and _brave_ and so so _strong_ , and I am completely in awe of you" he whispered, both thumbs rubbing circles along her cheeks, " _Thank you_ ...thank you for telling me that, and for trusting me enough to open up" he said, leaning back and smiling softly at her, "I am _so_ proud of you."

Betty blushed, touching her lips to his again, "Thank _you_ , for listening, and for not judging me or pitying me" she returned, placing her hands over his which still lay on her cheeks.

"I will _always_ listen" he promised, "and I would _never_ judge you Betty... _now_ " he punctuated, following the word with a quick kiss, "I think that's enough Q & A and sordid stories for one evening, how about we get another round....and maybe some fries" he grinned as he released her and settled back into the booth, throwing one arm across her shoulders.

She giggled at his insatiable appetite, then found her mind veering off for a quick moment as she wondering if his hunger applied to other areas of his life as well, but quickly shook the thoughts from her head before answering him with a "Sounds great!"

~*~

They spent the next hour laughing, and flirting, and stealing kisses as they touched on easier topics like 'What's your favorite color?'—hers blue and his green—however, Jug did reveal that blue was really growing on him as he fingered the lace hem of her dress suggestively; which Betty countered sassily with a ' _Really_...then you should see what's underneath', making him groan at her brazenness as he crushed her to him, kissing her heatedly as he gripped her bare thigh, the alcohol thrumming through their veins causing them both to be more hands-on and openly affectionate.  

Which was the current state they were in; lips and tongues and teeth nipping at each other as they sat wrapped up in the back of the booth, oblivious to the happenings around them until the waitress loudly cleared her throat in an attempt to catch their attention.  

Jug released her, licking her cherry flavour from his lips before turning to address the uninterested woman, "Can I help you?" he asked casually, biting back a smile as Betty giggled and hid her face in his neck.

"Yeah, it's last call, do you want anything else?" she sighed impatiently.

"Well Betts, do we need anything else?"

She shook her head, "No, no I'm good" she answered, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"We're good" Jug told the waitress politely before turning his attention back to Betty, missing the woman's eye roll as she walked away.

Betty was still tucked into his shoulder so he took advantage of it by moving her hair back behind her ear and ghosted his lips over the sensitive spot he found just behind it.  He made his way down her neck until he hit the point where her pulse was beating rapidly and pressed his lips to it.

“Jug” she uttered breathily, placing her hands against his chest, “ _Jughead_ ” she repeated a little louder when her initial plea went unanswered as he continued his gentle assault on her neck.

“Yeah babe” he asked as he continued to place fluttery kisses across her skin, stopping every so often to nip or suck.

“I think we should stop…” she told him, holding back a moan as he bit her collarbone and then soothed the spot with his tongue, “We’re in public and we’re making a scene” she reasoned, pushing his chest slightly to put some space in between them, already missing the feel of his lips on her.

“So” he smirked, capturing her lips again.

Betty sighed, indulging him once more before pushing him back again, “ _Soooo_ , I don’t feel like getting arrested for indecent exposure” she pointed out making him laugh.

“Okay, okay, you win” he conceded, kissing the tip of her nose before a thought struck him, “It wasn’t too much was it?  Like, I didn’t make you uncomfortable did I?” he asked, genuinely worried, “I’m sorry if I did or if it felt like I was pushing, I just—I can’t seem to control myself around you, I know that’s not an excuse but—” he rambled until she cut him off with a finger to his lips.

“Jug... _stop_.  I’m a grown woman, if you were being pushy or doing anything I didn’t want you to, I would tell you okay?”

He nodded so she dropped her hand from his mouth, “I like you Jug... _a lot_ …but this is all new to me, I haven’t really had relationships and I don’t usually do things like _this_ , especially in public, and it’s all pretty out of character for me, that being said, you seem to bring out the exhibitionist in me as well” she voiced, rolling her eyes at his smug grin, “But I think we should maybe save the main shows, and even the pre-shows, for places that are a little more private, dont you think?”

“Alright” he acquiesced, “that’s probably a wise idea considering my apparent caveman status when you’re around...but I can still kiss you right” he asked with puppy dog eyes.

“Yes” Betty giggled, “But let’s try to keep everything else PG” she suggested.

“Deal” he smiled, stealing another short kiss from her lips before settling back beside her.

“Hmm, I love this song” Betty shared, closing her eyes and swaying as she sang softly along with the opening lines.

 

_Girl, you’re lookin’ so good tonight_

_And every guy has got you in his sights_

 

Jug watch as the beautiful woman in front of him lost herself in the song, her love of music clear and evident by the smile on her face as she sang, this time just because she wanted to and not to please a paying crowd.  She looked so content and carefree and his heart fluttered against his chest as his body begged to be near her again. 

“Dance with me” he interrupted, making her eyes fly open.

“What?!”

“Dance with me” he reiterated.

“Juuugg” she drawled with uncertainty, “No.... _no_ ”

“Why not?” he pressed.

“Because no one else is _dancing_ ” she stated like it was obvious, “We’d look silly being the only ones, _plus_..there’s no dance floor.”

“So...they’ve already seen us make out, what’s one dance” he argued, getting up and taking her hands, pulling on them gently, “and we don’t need a whole floor, the space right here is enough as I don’t plan on letting you get that far from me” he winked.

She shook her head fondly, “You’re ridiculous” she huffed, rolling her eyes at him, but she didn’t resist as he pulled her out of the booth and onto her feet.

He took her arms and placed them around his neck before wrapping his around her waist, bringing her close enough to whisper in her ear, “See, this ain’t so bad” he told her as he swayed them to the beat.

“No, it’s rather nice actually” she agreed, holding him close as she laid her head on his shoulder and thread her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.  She closed her eyes, shutting out the noise around them and just concentrated on the song she knew so well, humming with the words against his neck.

 

_You know I’m the guy who never learned to dance_

_Never even got one second glance_

_Way across a crowded room was close enough_

_I could look but I could never touch_

_So tonight I’ll ask, the stars above_

_How did I ever win your love?_

_What did I do?  What did I say?_

_To turn your angel eyes my way?_

 

“I have to tell you Betts, I’m really glad I walked into the Blue Note that night” he bared.

“Mmhmm, me too” she affirmed, her lips just brushing his skin as she spoke, sending ripples of warmth down his spine.

 

_Don’t anyone wake me_

_If it’s just a dream_

_'Cause she’s the best thing_

_That’s ever happened to me_

 

“Or I guess I should say that I’m glad Veronica dragged me there” he acknowledged as he brushed his lips across her temple, “I’ll have to remember to thank her” he mused.

“Me too” Betty echoed, making him chuckle into her hair and pull her impossibly close, their bodies moving as one.

 

_All you fellows,_

_You can look all you like_

_But this girl you see,_

_She’s leavin’ here with me tonight_

_There’s just one more little thing that I need to know_

_If this is love, why does it scare me so?_

_Well, it must be somethin’ that only you can see_

_‘Cause I can feel it, baby, when you look at me_

 

Jug leaned back enough to dip his head and capture her lips, the kiss slow and languid and he groaned when she pulled gently at his hair.  “You’re killing me here Betts” he exhaled when they broke apart, his body reacting and his eyes darkening as she flushed and bit her down lip before hiding her face in his shoulder again; he shifted slightly, hoping she couldn’t feel his arousal as he let her snuggle in close before resuming their movements, this time with him singing against her ear, his voice smooth and rich.

 

_So tonight I’ll ask, the stars above_

_How did I ever win your love?_

_What did I do?  What did I say?_

_To turn your angel eyes my way?_

 

“ _Jug_ , you didn’t tell me that you sing” she accused as the song ended.

“I don’t usually, unless I’m in the shower” he revealed, still holding her even though the music had stopped.

“Well you should do it more often, your voice is great” she complimented.

“Yeah, that _probably_ won’t be happening” he chuckled.

“Maybe just for me?” she coaxed, looking up at him from underneath her lashes.

“We’ll see, you little minx” he bantered, kissing her again.

“Excuse me” an annoyed voice said behind them and they turned to see the same waitress from before.  “I’m sorry to interrupt this little tryst but we’re closing” she snipped.

“Wow” Jug volleyed, raising his brow at her attitude, “You do realize you work for tips, right?” he shot back.

The woman paused, then frowned again, shrugging as she realized she’d already lost their gratuity.  “Whatever, just clear out” she said cooly, hooking her thumb towards the door, “Go find a room or something, they rent them by the hour around the corner” she advised.

“Well, aren’t you helpful” Jug ribbed, “You see, that wasn’t so hard now was it?  What do you say hun, you want to get one of those fancy by the hour rooms?” he played, pulling Betty into his side, a giggle escaping her lips as she smacked her hand against his chest, silently telling him to cut it out.

The waitress just glared at them before muttering something about hating her job and stomping away, leaving the couple in stitches as they fell into a fit of giggles.  After a moment, in an attempt to pull herself together, Betty tried scolding Jughead for baiting the poor girl, but failed miserably when her laughter won out.

“ _What??_ ” he asked innocently, “She deserved it, admit it” he pressured, holding up her jacket so she could slide her arms inside.

“Fine” she gave in, grabbing her purse as he slipped into his own jacket, “She was a bit of a bag wasn’t she.”

“Definitely, I think she needs to find someone to take her to one of those hourly rooms and remove the stick from her ass” he exclaimed.

“ _Jug!_ ” she chided as she went to swat him lightly again, but this time he was faster as he grabbed her hand and Betty let out a short squeal as he pulled her to him, crushing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss before letting her mouth go with an audible pop.

“One last show for the road” he winked before linking his fingers through hers and pulling her towards the exit.

Betty was too flustered to counter with any sort of comeback, and just nodded when he asked if she wanted to get an Uber instead of walking the eight blocks to her apartment at this hour.  Once outside, Jughead wrapped his arms around her, sharing his warmth as they waited for their ride.  She slid her hands over his abdomen and around his back, slipping underneath his jacket, and he shivered as goose bumps erupted on his skin for reasons that had nothing to do with the cool evening air.

They remained that way until their car pulled up, Jughead squeezing her tightly once more as he hid his frown in her hair before letting her go.  It had been the best night of his life thus far and now that it was coming to a close, he didn’t want it to end.  He opened the car door for her and let her slide in before slipping in next to her, giving the driver her address once he shut the door.  Betty moved so she was flush against his side, laying her head on his shoulder and he took her hand, threading his fingers with hers before resting them atop his thigh.  The drive to her place only took a few minutes and was spent in comfortable silence, both of them wishing the commute would last just a little longer.

When they pulled up in front of her building, Jug got out and jogged around to the other side of the car, opening her door and giving Betty his hand to assist her as she tried to gracefully step out while wearing a dress and heels.  

“Thank you” she said quietly as he leaned forward and shut the door behind her, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before making her way to the sidewalk.

Jug leaned down and rapped a knuckle on the driver window, letting him know he’d be back in a minute before following Betty.  She was waiting for him at her door, looking like a literal angel under the buildings lights and he felt his nerves return full force, which was ridiculous considering how their evening had progressed.  But he felt his stomach clench and flip flop as she beamed at him, the lyrics from their dance replaying in his mind; _What did I do?  What did I say?  To turn your angel eyes my way?_

He didn’t know the answer, and honestly, he didn’t care right then either because he wasn’t going to question how he managed to get so damn lucky; instead he returned her smile as he bounded up the steps, stopping just inches from her, “Hi” he said, placing one hand on her waist.

“Hi” she echoed shyly as she ran one palm down his chest, “I had a really great time with you tonight, and Joaquin was right, I definitely needed to get out and have some fun, so thank you, for indulging me.”

“You say that like it was a chore” he teased, stroking her cheek, “when really it was a privilege.  I had a great time too and I’d like to do it again... _soon_ ” he emphasized.  “I was actually thinking that if you don’t have to work late on Wednesday, Archie’s playing at a club downtown and I’d love it if you came with me.  I’d like you to meet my friends, and feel free to invite Joaquin too if it makes you feel more comfortable” he offered.

“Yeah, that sounds great, what time would it be at?  I work until eight but am free after, and Quin would be too as he works the same shift as me on Wednesdays.”

“I don’t think his set starts until ten but I can text you the details….if you’ll finally give me your phone number that is” he pointed out.

She bit her lip as she held out her hand and Jug fished out his cell and gave it to her, grinning as she entered in her info.  He smirked when she handed it back and he saw the screen, “Juliet huh?” he mused and Betty shrugged coyly.

“Seemed fitting” she flirted.

“Oh, it’s definitely fitting” he agreed, “It’s right up there with _gorgeous_ ….and _beautiful, talented_ ….and _amazing_ ” he flattered, punctuating the compliments with a kiss to her cheek, then her forehead, on to her nose and ending with her lips.  He tightened his grip on her hip and captured her face with his other hand as she wrapped her arms around his neck, crossing them being his head; the kiss was lazy and sensual but quickly heated up when he took advantage of her sigh and slid his tongue into her mouth, twisting it with hers as he explored and tasted her.  Betty pushed her fingers into his hair at the back of his neck and gave a little tug, holding him to her as she deepened the kiss, a groan vibrating from deep in his chest.  His fingers kneaded her neck and the curve of her waist as he kissed the breath right out of her, molding her against him. 

His head became cloudy with lust and he had a hard time thinking straight with the fire that was burning through him, but the sensual whimper that she released when he took her bottom lip between his teeth shot straight to his groin and cut through the fog, reminding him that they were still outside and that they needed to reign themselves in or risk further breaking their PG pact.

He released her lip, trailing light kisses across her face and down her jaw, finally stopping at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, releasing a shuddery breath against her skin as his heart beat out of his chest.  “What do you do to me Betts?” he mumbled, laying another kiss upon her pulse point, feeling it knock wildly against his mouth.  She swallowed and shook her head, unable to answer as she clung to him, holding him to her as her own heart thudded erratically; she willed her body to calm as she panted against his ear, trying to ignore the throb that he awakened at her core.  

They stayed like that for a moment, drinking each other in until Betty spoke, “Do you...do you want to come up” she asked softly, making Jughead groan against her throat before pulling back.

“More than you’ll ever know” he declared, brushing the stray strands of hair from her face, “But it’s late, and I have a really early meeting with my editor tomorrow, and I have a feeling that me coming up would not be very sleep productive.  Also, I should probably try to keep _some_ semblance of a gentleman tonight” he winked and she giggled.  “But I’ll definitely take a rain check, maybe for Wednesday….if the offer still stands that is?”

“It does” she blushed.

“Okay...Wednesday then” he settled, pressing his lips against her forehead before letting her go, “Goodnight... _Juliet_ ” he whispered, placing a final kiss to her lips.

“Goodnight Juggie” she returned against his mouth, giggling when she felt the grin that the nickname brought to his lips.

She pecked his cheek once more then watched as he descended the stairs, giving her a small wave before he got back into the car.  She leaned back against her door and waved as the car pulled away, continuing to watch it until it rounded the corner, her fingertips ghosting over the smile on her lips the whole time she did.

Once in her apartment Betty undressed, putting on a pair of sleep shorts and a tee and went to the bathroom to wash off her makeup and brush her teeth.  She had just turned out the light and crawled under the covers when her phone dinged.  She picked it up off the nightstand and saw a message from an unknown number, so she swiped, opening the text, and her heart bloomed in her chest as she read, and reread the message.

 

**_‘For she had eyes;_ **

**_and chose me.’_ **

 

**_Goodnight Juliet,_ **

**_XX Romeo_ **

 

She let out a little squeal as her hand found her mouth again, her smile wide and giddy against her fingertips.

“Oh Betty...you are in _so_ much trouble” she whispered to herself with reckless abandonment, the first flicker of love’s flame alighting within her as she saved his number under Romeo.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think?? Worth the wait...yes...no...do you want to see more still?? Tell me you thoughts as comments are life blood :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	5. Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the next chapter! Sorry for the wait and thanks to all who are still here reading this. This small update somehow turned into a 10000 word mega chapter and I hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think :)
> 
> Ps. I posted this from my phone at the lake so please excuse any formatting errors, sometimes It’s hard to catch them on mobile.

To say it had been a long few days was an understatement; Betty had spent the day after her date with Jughead working on school work and then had worked double shifts at the club every day this week because two of the girls were out sick.

 

In a way she was thankful for the craziness as it kept her busy and exhausted which meant she had little time to dwell on her upcoming date and the nerves that it provoked.  Of course she was excited for it too; her and Jug had been talking and sending flirty texts all week and she could hardly wait to see him, but the idea of meeting his friends had her terrified.

 

Betty didn’t have friends—well except Joaquin—and she definitely didn’t have _groups_ of friends that she went out with.  She usually had a hard enough time with the one on one let alone juggling a full group....what if they thought she was weird or asked about her past?  What if she wasn’t dressed right? _Would they hold that against her...and would Jug not want to see her anymore if they didn’t like her_ she wondered as she checked her outfit in her dressing room mirror for the hundredth time.

 

Jughead had said to dress club casual... _what the hell is club casual anyway??!!_ She didn’t know fashion, and she didn’t have money for designers or to stay up to date with the latest trends, but if they asked her where to find decent used clothing on the streets of New York—like the kind that weren’t filled with holes or lord knows what else—she could point them in the right direction in seconds.

 

She chewed her lip nervously as she eyed the black flowy spaghetti strap tank and jean shorts she had on.  The loose sheer fabric with its uneven hem swished around her middle as she moved her body side to side, the cropped black cotton underneath leaving her toned stomach visible through the thin top layer.  

 

Her shorts were simple, a distressed jean with frayed hems that sat high enough on her thighs that the pockets were slightly visible below the cut-off, and she finished off the outfit with a pair of black ankle boots, straightened locks and a smokey eye.  

 

She thought she looked cute, maybe a little sexy but not overdone, definitely nice enough for a casual club… _right??_

 

 _Oh god I might just throw up_ she thought miserably as she dropped to the lounge.  

 

She hated that people and crowds affected her so much but growing up like she did had taught her to be guarded and careful; and after so many years of living that way, she seemed to have developed a slight case of social anxiety.

 

Thankfully she’s learned to hide it well, and unless someone were to look closely and find her tells, they wouldn’t notice.  In fact, people usually assume that she’s a social butterfly, especially with her current job. But that isn’t really her, that’s a persona...someone that drops her problems and her past at the door and becomes someone new for a short amount of time.  That’s one of the main reasons she enjoys it, it lets her escape...even if it’s just for a little while.

 

Her phone beeped and she picked it up off the coffee table, smiling when she saw the text from Jug telling her that he was here and waiting for her with Joaquin, her heart fluttering at the X’s and O’s that he included at the end of the message.

 

She let out a breath as she sent him a quick reply; _it’ll be fine, Jug will be with you the whole time_ she told herself calmly as she rose and went back to the mirror to apply a quick gloss to her lips before sliding on her pink pea coat.  She was just grabbing her purse to leave when Chuck walked in.

 

“I need you to work late tonight Bet— _where_ are you going?” he demanded as he took in her casual dress and coat.

 

“I’m going out, I told you I wasn’t able to stay late today” she reminded him.

 

“Well cancel” he said, his tone non-negotiable, “I need you here tonight” he told her, turning to leave.

 

“No” she rebutted quietly.

 

“Excuse me?” he asked in disbelief as he stopped and turned back around.

 

“I said  _no_ ” she said more firmly, “I’ve had these plans made for days and I've worked double shifts every night this week, so I’m not cancelling, you’ll just have to make due” she finished, buttoning up her coat.

 

Chuck didn’t say anything for a moment, just stood there staring at her, his jaw set and his eyes calculating.  “I don’t know where this attitude is coming from, but I think you’re forgetting your place here.... _you_ work for _me_ , not the other way around, and I ain’t running no _god damn_ charity!” he said, his voice rising, “So you’re going to take off your coat and change out of that _slutty_ outfit, and you’re going to get your _ass_ back on that _stage!_ ” he shouted, pointing towards the door.  

 

Betty scoffed as she placed one hand on her hip and stuck a finger in his face, “ _You_...are an _asshole_!  And regardless what you’ve done for me, you _do not_ get to speak to me like that!  Now if you’ll excuse me” she bid, throwing her purse over her shoulder, “I have friends waiting” she parted, tossing her hair behind her as she headed to the door, only to be yanked back by Chuck’s hand around her arm.

 

He pulled her flush against him, his eyes dark and shooting daggers at her, “Don’t you _ever_ walk away from me Elizabeth” he seethed in her face.

 

“Or what Chuck?” she challenged, ripping her arm away, “Unless you plan on carrying me on that stage and holding me there against my will in front of all those people then I’m _leaving_ and there’s not a _damn_ thing you can do about it!” she spat, straightening her jacket before she walked out, ignoring the man cursing her name behind her.

 

~*~

 

Jug checked his watch again as he waited by the door with Joaquin.  Their Uber had arrived already and it had been at least ten minutes since she had texted him saying that she’d be right out and he couldn’t help but wonder what was keeping her.

 

He was just starting to worry when her blonde head popped into view, his mouth pulled into a smile on its own accord—which seemed to happen a lot around her—however it faltered a moment later when he saw Chuck step out behind her and grab her by the shoulder, whipping her around to face him.  

 

Jughead’s blood began to boil as he watched the man get right up in Betty’s face, the two of them obviously having a heated argument.  He stepped forward, ready to intervene when Joaquin put a hand on his chest to stop him. He looked at her friend questioningly, “Are we just going to sit here and let that happen?” he asked incredulously.

 

“Trust me, you don’t know Chuck and if you go over there it’ll just make it worse” he told him, the concern for his friend evident in his voice.  “Betty’s tough, give her a chance to deal with it and if he doesn’t back off, then we’ll step in okay” he reasoned “I don’t think he’d risk doing anything stupid in front of all these people” he placated.

 

“He already did” Jughead replied through clenched teeth as he watched Betty shrug off the man’s hand and walk away, relief flooding him when Chuck turned around and disappeared back down the hallway instead of following her.  He really didn’t feel like getting into it with her boss tonight.

 

He could tell that she was upset and he stepped forward to meet her, laying a hand on her waist and dropping a soft kiss to her cheek.  “Are you alright babe” he whispered in her ear as he used his other arm to pull her in close, hugging her to him.

 

She nodded against his chest, “Yeah, can we just go?  I don’t want him to ruin our night” she told him softly as they separated.

 

He leaned down and kissed her on the lips, soothing her cheek with his thumb, “Of course, we already have a ride waiting outside.”

 

He threaded his hand through hers and gave it a squeeze as Joaquin took her other hand and mimicked the action, looking at her with sympathy as they seemed to hold a silent conversation that ended with a smile and a nod from Betty.

 

“Alright” Joaquin said, dropping her hand, “Let’s get this party started” he exclaimed, grinned wickedly over his shoulder as he lead them out.

 

~*~

 

The couple sat together in the back seat, Betty tucked into Jug’s side with her hand in his as he ran his thumb back and forth along her knuckles, her head resting lightly on his shoulder as she watched the city pass outside the window.

 

“Are you sure you’re alright Betts?” he asked again, frowning slightly when she just nodded a silent response.

 

He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head to look at him, “Do you want to talk about it?” he pressed, “Because I can tell that he upset you and I don’t like it and it makes me want to punch him in the face” he stated when she stayed silent, running his fingers along her cheek before brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, “and you can talk to me about anything, you know that right?”

 

She sighed, “I know Jug, and that’s very sweet of you, but can we just....agree to drop it, at least for tonight?” she asked, “Because thinking about it only makes me mad and I really don’t want it to affect our date” she told him, her soft pleading eyes effectively crumbling any resolve he had left to push her on it.

 

He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her temple; “Whatever you want” he eased against her skin.

 

“Thank you” she said, wrapping her arm around his middle and snuggling into his warmth, where she stayed until they reached the club.

 

Once there, Jughead texted Veronica as she was supposed to come out and usher them in as guests of the band so that they didn’t have to wait in line or pay a cover.  

 

As they waited for her, he noticed Betty bouncing on her toes beside him and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side, “Are you cold?” he asked, rubbing her arm.

 

“No, just a little nervous” she confessed, chewing her bottom lip in that habitual way that she had.

 

“Really?  How come?” he questioned, turning her so that she was facing him as he wrapped both arms around her.

 

“I’m not good with people Jug” she started, glancing enviously at Joaquin who had already managed to strike up a conversation with someone in line.  “I don’t know how to act or answer questions about myself, and I know you’re friends are important to you and what if they don’t like me?” she worried.

 

“Well then their idiots” he deadpanned, “and that’s not going to happen because they already like you” he pacified.

 

“They don’t even know me...all they’ve seen is the girl on the stage and that’s not me” she argued.

 

“ _Betty_ …” he soothed, “It’ll be fine, they’ll _love_ you…and if they don’t, well I never really liked them anyway” he teased, smiling when she giggled.  “Just be yourself and anytime you want to leave we can, just say the word and we’ll go” he promised.

 

“Okay” she agreed, lifting up and pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss, smiling against his mouth when he hummed in response and pulled her tight against him as he open his mouth and connected his tongue with hers.

 

“Uh hum” a throat cleared beside them and Betty broke the kiss, ducking her head shyly into his shoulder to hide her blush as Jug looked over to see an amused Veronica staring at them with a quirked brow and her arms crossed in front of her chest.

 

“Hey Ronnie” Jug greeted, his smile large and innocent.

 

“Hey Jug” she copied, “You ah, you gotta a little something right here” she told him, tapping the corner of her mouth, “Pinks not really your color” she bantered.

 

“Oh god” Betty cringed against his jacket as he swiped the lipstick from his mouth before giving her an affectionate squeeze.

 

“Stop embarrassing my date” he scolded as he released her, snaking one arm around her waist again.  “Betty this is Veronica, Veronica meet Betty” he introduced.

 

“Hi” Betty said shyly, offering her hand which Veronica side stepped as she came forward and wrapped the surprised blonde in a hug.

 

“It’s so great to finally meet you!  And I want to tell you that I think you’re amazingly talented and I totally get why Jug can’t shut up about you” she gushed, returning Jughead’s glare with an overly sweet smile before turning back to Betty.  “I just know we’re going to be the best of friends!” she declared, linking her arm with hers and leading her away from Jug.

 

“And who’s this?” Veronica cooed as Joaquin rejoined them.

 

“This is my best friend Joaquin” Betty told her, “Quin this is Veronica” she offered, watching in amusement as her new friend looked her old friend up and down appreciatively.

 

“Nice” she stated as she brought her eyes back to his face, “Straight?” she queried, making his brows shoot up, entertained by her bluntness.

 

“Not even a little” he answered with a confident grin.

 

“Excellent!” she enthused before turning away and leading them towards the door.

 

“I _like_ her” Joaquin whispered to Jug as they followed the girls.

 

“You may not be saying that after she attempts to set you up with every gay man she knows” he warned.

 

“Is that supposed to be a bad thing?” he chuckled; “Because I could really use some dick” he shared unashamedly, winking at Jug who burst out laughing.

 

“Well then, enjoy!” he told him, clapping him on the back as they continued to follow Betty and Veronica through the crowd to a table near the front of the stage.

 

“Alright everyone” Veronica called to attention when they reached their table, “I would like to introduce you to my new best friend” she announced, pulling her forward, “This is Betty, and that” she added pointing to Joaquin, “is her old best friend Joaquin” she teased winking at him.  “Guys, this is Josie, Reggie, Archie and _Kevin_ ” she finished, shooting Joaquin a knowing look as everyone said their _hello’s_ and _nice to meet you’s._ ”

 

“Gee Ron, thanks for introducing my date for me” Jug said dryly.

 

“No problem Jug” she smiled as she sat down next to Archie while Joaquin took the empty seat next to Kevin who looked delighted with his new company.

 

He rolled his eyes as he helped Betty with her coat, his eyes widening as she slid it off and turned around.

 

“What?” she asked as she noticed his expression, “Is something wrong?” she fretted, looking down at her clothes and then to the other girls who were thankfully wearing similar outfits before returning her attention to the man in front of her.

 

He shook his head as he got a hold of himself, “No, nothing’s wrong, it’s just….you look incredible Betts” he complimented, laying a hand on her shoulder and rubbing the smooth skin he found there as he placed a light kiss on her mouth.

 

“Thank you” she blushed as he took her hand and led her to the table, sinking into a chair and pulling her down with him.  “ _Jug_ ” she giggled, kissing him on the cheek before removing herself from his lap, “I’m sure we can manage to find another chair” she pointed out.

 

“I don’t mind sharing,  _really_ ” he persuaded with a grin.

 

“I bet you don’t” she jabbed fondly, “How about you go find another chair and I’ll go grab some drinks” she reasoned.

 

“Fine” he pouted, pulling her between his legs and tugging on her hand so that he could reach her lips again.

 

“I’ll be right back” she told him, blushing as she stepped away.

 

“Hey, I’ll come help you” Joaquin offered, getting to his feet and collected everyone’s drink orders before following Betty into the crowd.

 

Once they had left everyone turned to Jug, grinning wickedly at him.

 

“What?” he asked, looking around the table.

 

“What do you mean _what??_ ” Veronica started, “I’ve _never_ seen you act like this with a girl before!”

 

“Ronnie’s right man” Archie piped in, “You’re so obviously gone for her.”

 

“And it’s absolutely _adorable_ ” Kevin added.

 

“Plus, she’s _fucking_ hot as hell!” Reggie appraised, “I don’t know how you did it loser, but I’m impressed” he told him, earning a glare from Jughead and a swat from Josie.

 

“Umm… _Girlfriend_ ….sitting right here” Josie reminded him as he rubbed the spot where her hand connected.

 

“But seriously dude, we’re happy for you” Archie cut in, “She seems really great.”

 

“Thanks Arch, and yeah, she’s pretty amazing” he confirmed, “and I honestly have no idea what she sees in me” he said with a chuckle.

 

“Me neither” Reggie muttered, receiving another swat.

 

“ _Ow!_ What??  I’m just agreeing with him” he grumbled, “Jeez, calm your jets woman!”

 

“Reggie, I swear to God—”

 

“ _Guys!_ Enough!”  Veronica butted in, cutting Josie off, “Their on their way back, so how about we reel it in and not embarrass Jug or make her feel uncomfortable, okay?” she exasperated, giving a little nod of her chin when Jughead mouthed a thank you to her before he got up to go grab an empty chair from a nearby table.

 

He returned at the same time as Betty and Joaquin and helped them pass the drinks around before everyone settled in.

 

“So Betty, what do you do when you’re not working at the club?” Veronica asked.

 

“Umm, I’m studying to get my degree in Social Work so that takes up a lot of my free time….and besides that, just normal stuff I guess...I’m actually a bit of a hermit” she admitted with a chuckle, “I’m okay just staying home and vegging out in front of the TV most days” she shrugged, taking a sip of her cocktail.

 

“Ahh, there’s the connection” Reggie said, nodding his head in understanding.

 

“What?” Betty asked confused.

 

“Nothing, just ignore him” Josie told her with a smile as she kicked her loudmouth boyfriend under the table.  “So, have you lived in New York all your life?” she asked.

 

“Uh, no…I’ve been here for about 10 years now I guess.”

 

“Cool and where did you live before you moved here?  Like where’s home for you?” she went on, genuinely interested.

 

Betty shifted in her seat, “Um, it’s uh…it’s kind of a long story” she replied quietly as Jug put a hand on her knee and squeezed, sensing her discomfort.

 

“I think that’s enough interrogation for now” he chuckled, trying to distract from her unease as he rubbed soothing circles on her thigh with his thumb.

 

“ _Relax_ Jug, I just wanted to know more about the girl that finally caught the eye of the infamous Jughead Jones” she cajoled.  “But if a girl wants to remain mysterious, I’m okay with that too” she said, “Every woman needs an air of mystery” she purred, winking at Betty.

 

“So Arch, when do you guys go on?” Jug inquired, changing the subject and drawing a grateful smile from Betty.

 

Archie looked at his watch, “Oh, right away actually” he advised, “I guess I should grab the guys and make sure everything’s set up” he told them, getting up from the table.  “I’m glad you could make it Betty and you too Joaquin and I hope you guys enjoy the show” he said with a friendly smile before giving his girlfriend a quick kiss and heading backstage.

 

Much to Betty’s relief, the focus of conversation had remained shifted away from her after Archie left and before she knew it, his band was gracing the stage, drawing everyone’s attention their way as the banter died down to a quiet lull.

 

“Wow, they’re really good” she whispered to Jug after the first few songs had been played, her foot tapping along with the current beat.  “Do you want to dance?” she asked.

 

“Uh, if I’m honest...I can’t really dance to this kind of stuff” he admitted, “Slow dancing, no problem, but the kind where you have to move your hips and actually have rhythm…not so much” he told her sheepishly.

 

“Really?!” she said surprised, “You did so well the other night, I never would have guessed...but that’s alright, we don’t have to dance if you don’t want to” she reassured, squeezing his hand.  

 

“Hey, if you want to dance, _go_...enjoy yourself” he told her, bringing her hand up and kissing the back of it, “Don’t let me hold you back babe, I'm more than happy to just sit here and watch you move” he said with a wink and Betty blushed.

 

“Okay” she smiled before looking at her friend, “Joaquin, what do ya say, you wanna shake your booty?”

 

“Pfft, you know I can’t resist a good beat Betts” he replied, turning to the man beside him, “What about you, Preppy?” he asked hopefully.

 

“Oh definitely!” Kevin said, already getting out of his seat and pulling them both up with him.  

 

Betty told them she’d be right there and grinned as she watched them go off together before turning back to Jug.  She leaned down and kissed his cheek, “Maybe you’ll join me for a slow one later?” she whispered, her question laced with a suggestive undertone that had him grasping her hip and turning his face to catch her lips in a brief but promising kiss.

 

“You can count on it” he grinned and she pecked his mouth once more before pulling away.  

 

“Anyone else?” she asked the rest of the group left at the table.

 

“I like to watch Archie for his set but we’ll definitely join you after” Veronica said.

 

“Yeah, I’m going to just sit and enjoy for a bit too but will hit it up later” Josie echoed.

 

“ _Boring!_ ” Reggie scoffed at the two girls before getting up, “Come on Blondie, let’s show these clowns how it’s done” he bragged, surprising Betty when he threw his arm around her shoulder.  “As long it's fine with you Needlenose” he turned to Jug with a wide grin.

 

“Just keep your hands where I can see them Reg” he warned lightly, winking at Betty so she knew that he was just teasing and not actually upset or concerned; his nonchalance surprising him a little as he would have thought that someone like Reggie would make him feel threatened, but the expected stab of jealousy never came.  

 

Maybe it was because he was confident in his and Betty’s connection and he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t go for someone like Mantle.  Or maybe it was the fact that Reggie had Josie and he knew that they loved each other… _plus,_ Josie didn’t put up with any of his shit, so Jug knew that he wouldn’t risk doing anything stupid...or maybe it was a combination, either way he found himself unbothered.

 

“And I don’t have to remind you that you’re taken, right Reg?” Josie added with a raised brow.

 

Reggie tried to look offended, “That hurts babe….how could I ever forget about my beautiful girlfriend??  And Betty here has a....” he paused, looking Jug over, “Well...a boyfriend, right Betts” he finished, giving her a squeeze.

 

“Uh...we um...we actually…” she stammered, looking at Jughead nervously before glancing at the ground, “We haven’t really…”

 

“We haven’t really talked about labels yet” he finished for her, looking annoyed as he glared at Reggie, “But thanks for that” he snapped sarcastically before giving Betty an apologetic look as he reached out and squeezed her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles in a silent way of asking if she was okay.  She nodded and gave him a small smile which he returned, squeezing her hand one more time before letting it go.

 

“Oh uh, sorry” Reg said, scratching at the back of his neck while having the decency to look at least a little shameful as he cleared his throat, “So um, you still want to dance?” he asked Betty.

 

She smiled, “Sure” she answered, giving the table a small wave as she let him lead her away.

 

“Sorry Jug” Josie apologized again, “Reggie tends to have the biggest ‘Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome’ that I’ve ever seen.”

 

“It’s fine….his assumption just proves that maybe I should stop being stupid and tell her how I feel” he sighed, taking a sip of his drink.

 

“Wow….I’ve never seen you so…. _serious_ about a girl about a girl before Jug” Josie noted.  “So I’m guessing that you _want_ her to be your girlfriend then?” she pried.

 

“More than anything” he said quietly, spinning his drink between his fingers, “I’m falling pretty fast here I think” he admitted, a blush creeping across his face.

 

“Omigod,  _YAY!_ ” Veronica squealed as she clapped her hands excitedly, making him chuckle as his eyes sought out Betty on the dance floor.

 

~*~

 

The next hour flew by much the same way; Betty took turns dancing with the guys while he visited with the girls, jumping at every opportunity to hold her or steal kisses whenever she came back to the table, sweaty and breathless and looking for a drink or a quick rest before someone was pulling her back up again.

 

And once the band’s set had finished and Archie had returned, he hardly had a chance to sit before Veronica had pulled him to the dance floor, dragging Josie along with them and leaving Jug on his own as he waved them on.  

 

He smiled as he watched Betty laughing with his friends; he had known that they would love her, just as he knew he was destined to.  It wasn’t even a question of ‘if’, only of ‘when’; and he had a sneaking suspicion that the ‘when’ would come sooner than he could ever prepare himself for...and that scared the shit out of him with the same intensity that it excited him as his gaze followed her movements.  The sensual sway of her hips and the roll of her abs were doing things to him and he ran his tongue along his lips, catching the last drop of his drink before setting the glass down and getting up.

 

He couldn’t take not touching her anymore, his body screaming to be near her as her very presence pulled him in.  She startled when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and placed his lips to the flushed damp skin of her neck, feeling her relax when she realized that it was him.

 

“Mmmm” she hummed, laying her arms over his and threading their fingers together as she laid her head back against his shoulder, “What happened to ‘I don’t dance to this stuff’” she teased as he continued to lay kisses across her neck and shoulder.

 

“I couldn’t resist anymore” he revealed, nipping at the juncture of her neck, “You look incredibly sexy out here and it’s doing all kinds of things to me” he divulged, making her blush.

 

“Oh really??” she asked, reaching one hand up to cup his neck as he dropped his hands to her hips, following her movements with his own.

 

“Mmhmm” he mumbled between kisses as he made his way up her neck.

 

“What kind of things?” she pushed, her voice low and breathy.

 

“Wonderful things” he whispered thickly in her ear, his arousal evident as his grip tightened on her and he pressed against her behind.

 

Betty bit her lip and closed her eyes as he slid his hands down the front of her shorts; his fingertips reaching her smooth skin and dancing along her bare thighs, leaving goosebumps in their wake as he dragged them back up again, running them tantalizingly close to where she ached for him.

 

“Jug” she all but whimpered.

 

“Yeah babe?” he asked, her head spinning as he ground himself against her again.

 

“Do you…” she uttered, licking her lips before continuing, “Do you want to get out of here...maybe cash in that rain check?” she propositioned heatedly.

 

He stilled behind her, stopping his assault on her neck as he turned her in his arms, “You know that I was only teasing about the whole ‘rain check’ thing right??  Not that I wouldn’t be grateful as fuck if you wanted to—but I’m not—I’m not _expecting_ anything Betts” he told her honestly as he stroked his thumb across her cheek.

 

“I know” she soothed, turning her head and pressing her lips to the pad of his thumb softly, “I want to Jug” she assured before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again, pulling him flush against her as her tongue delved into his mouth, making him groan as he kissed her back eagerly, sliding his hands into her back pockets and squeezing her ass, swallowing the small noise of surprise that she made.

 

He felt the loss immediately as he broke away from her, leaning his forehead against hers as they caught their breath; he wanted nothing more than to kiss her like that all night—amongst other things—but he really didn’t think that he should devour her in front of their friends.

 

“Betty…” he managed a moment later, her darkened gaze lifting to his, “Are you sure?” he questioned, his eyes searching hers, “Because we can stay...we don’t hav—mmph” he mumbled as she cut off his words with her mouth, kissing him thoroughly again.

 

“Yes” she said with confidence as she pulled away, “Take me home Jug” she told him, a sultry smile on her face as she ran her hands down his chest.

 

He’s pretty sure he swallowed his tongue as his mind went blank, completely enraptured by the gorgeous woman in front of him.  

 

“O-okay” he stuttered, when he finally pulled himself together, “You don’t have to tell me twice” he grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her from the dance floor.

 

“Well _actually_...I kinda did” she giggled as she trailed behind him.

 

“Well...stupid, _stupid_ me” he scolded himself, making her giggle some more as they reached their table.

 

He stopped short, feeling his face grow warm as they were greeted by the smiling, knowing faces of their friends; and he looked at Betty who bit her smiling lip and blushed prettily as she hid her face in his arm.

 

“What are you two kids up to?” Kevin asked with quirked brows.

 

Jughead scrubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat, “We...we’re actually gonna take off” he said casually, grabbing Betty’s coat and holding it up so she could slide her arms inside.

 

“So soon...what’s the rush _Jug_?” Kevin wondered mischievously, “Night’s still young” he added.

 

“None of your business _Kev_ ” he bantered back as he threw on his own jacket, his narrowed eyes only making Kevin’s smirk grow wider.

 

“Oh leave them alone Kev” Veronica reprimanded warmly.  “Sorry” she said turning to Betty, “My boy here just _loves_ the gossip….and he tends to not have a filter sometimes” she told her as she shot Kevin a withering look.

 

“What can I say...she’s not wrong” he agreed with a grin and a shrug.

 

“It’s fine” Betty smiled, more amused than anything by his curiousness, “I know exactly how you feel” she stated, leveling Joaquin with a look of her own.

 

“ _Hey_ , what did I do?” he asked and Betty rolled her eyes fondly before leaning down to give him a hug goodbye.

 

“I’ll call you tomorrow” she told him as he squeezed her back.

 

“You better” he replied, “because as your best friend, I _do_ expect details” he added quietly, pulling a giggle from her as she kissed his cheek.

 

“I promise to call but I’m not promising details” she retorted as she let him go.

 

“Spoil sport” he teased, grasping her hand and keeping her close as the expression on his face turned serious.  “Hey Betts…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Stay safe okay?” he told her, his concern and care evident in his voice.

 

“Always” she promised, squeezing his hand, “You too” she added, giving a sideways glance to Kevin.

 

“Of course” he beamed a slight tinge of rouge on his cheeks.

 

“You ready?” Jug asked, placing a hand on her lower back.

 

Betty smiled up at him, “Yeah” she nodded.

 

It took them a few more minutes to say the rest of their goodbyes, mostly because the boys got into it again after Reggie made some parting remark about making sure to use a rubber.

 

But after some female refereeing and a push from Betty, they finally made their way out of the club and she inhaled the cool crisp air as Jug wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm as they waited for their ride.

 

“I’m sorry” he said, as he held her “for freaking out on Reggie like that...the guy just knows how to push my buttons...and again, I didn’t want you to think that I have any expectations about what’s going to happen tonight” he told her, rubbing his hands in circles over her back.

 

“Jug...I’d be kind of shocked—and a _little_ concerned—if you didn’t have any expectations about tonight….because I do” she told him honestly as she looked up at him.

 

He smiled, shaking his head in disbelief before pressing his lips to hers, “What am I going to do with you?” he wondered affectionately.

 

“I have a few ideas” she bated, smirking when his eyes darkened and he crushed his mouth to hers again, not breaking away until a car horn sounded beside them, making them jump.

 

Betty wiped along her mouth with her thumb as Jug opened the back door, giving her his hand as she got in before sliding in beside her.

 

“Where to?” the driver asked.

 

Jughead looked at Betty questioningly; who smiled and shrugged, “Wherever you want” she told him as she wrapped both hands around one of his and placed it in her lap.

 

He returned her smile before giving the driver his address, removing his hand from her clutches so he could slip his arm around her waist and pull her close.  He turned his body towards hers, sliding his other palm across her mid-thigh as he nuzzled her neck, grinning against her skin when she giggled.

 

She cupped his face and lifted it to her, kissing him slowly as her body hummed with anticipation; his hand burning his touch into her leg, lighting a fire within her that she’s never felt before and she can only imagine what it’ll be like when he’s touching other parts of her.  The very idea making her squeeze her thighs together; a movement that did not going unnoticed by Jughead as he groaned into her mouth and slid his hand slightly higher, his fingertips dipping just under the hem of her shorts.

 

They stayed lost in each other, ignoring any glances from their driver and tipping him generously when he dropped them off in front of Jug’s condo building.

 

“Wow” Betty breathed as he led her through the elaborate lobby.  The deskman greeted him with a ‘Good evening Mr. Jones’, and Jug waved his hello before he pulled her into the elevator, pushing her body against the door as soon as it closed.  His lips attacking her neck and sucking his mark into her collarbone as she dropped her head back against the marbled wall. Her fingers gripped his shoulders and his mouth touched every piece of skin he could find as they rose to the top floor, the combined sensations of him and the elevator making her feel like she was floating.

 

When the doors opened again, he grasped the back of her thighs and picked her up, swallowing her delighted squeal as she wrapped her legs around his waist and let him carry her down the hall to his door.  

 

He reached into his back pocket to grab his key card as he supported her with one arm around her hips while she clung to his neck, giggling as her own assault on his neck had him struggling to slide the card into the slot.

 

“Thank _Christ”_ he muttered when he successfully unlocked the door, reclaiming her lips as he turned the handle and quickly spun them inside, slamming the door with their bodies as he pressed her back against it.  His fingers digging into her hips as she sank her hands into his hair, pushing his beanie from his head as she angled her mouth so she could deepened the kiss, a low growl coming from his chest as he thrust against her, making her drop her head back in a soft moan as she felt him hard against her center.

 

She slipped her hands beneath his jacket and he let go of her long enough for her to push it from his shoulders and onto the floor before he covered her mouth again, holding her up with only the pressure of his hips as he clumsily undid the buttons of her coat while maintaining their kiss.  When he finally popped the last one open, he returned his hands to her ass and pulled her away from the door, allowing her to drop her jacket on the floor next to his as he kicked off his boots and turned them, carrying her down the hall to the left where she assumed his bedroom must be.

 

She snuck her hands beneath the hem of his shirt and ran her fingers across the tight abs she found there, relishing in the way the muscles responded to her touch and she decided to do it again, using her nails this time, and she laughed when he jumped, swearing when he bumped them into the wall.  

 

She took advantage of the brief stop to lift the shirt from his body and drop it to the floor, his eyes darkening further as she bit her lip and her fingers explored the newly revealed skin.  She knew that his body was fit because she could feel it every time that he had held her, but she found herself mesmerized by the lean muscle that covered him, defining his shape with dips and plains and indents that left her breathless and she couldn’t look away as she imagined what it would be like to explore them her mouth.

 

He watched her heatedly as her gaze dropped to the phoenix tattoo that swirled up his ribs on his left side, her finger tracing the word that accompanied it, _Resurgam._

 

“I shall rise” she whispered, her thumb running over it as she looked at him, surprise flashing across his face as he stared at her in awe for the umpteenth time that night.

 

“You know Latin?” he queried.

 

“A little” she shrugged as she continued to be enchanted with the dark ink across his skin.

 

“ _God you’re amazing_ ” he growled, placing open mouth kisses across her neck and shoulders as he returned them to their path, nudging his bedroom door open with his foot when he reached end of the hall.

 

He walked them straight to his bed, leaning over and letting her drop onto his mattress as he followed her, covering her body with his own as she took his face between his hands and kissed him hungrily.  Sighing and slipping her hands into his unruly black locks when he moved from her mouth, trailing wet, hot kisses down her neck, his teeth grazing her collarbone before moving lower as his hands slid under her top.  

 

“Can I?” he asked against her skin as he lifted her shirt a little, waiting for her breathy ‘ _yes_ ’ before bringing it over her head and tossing it to the side; his eyes raking over the black strapless lace that just barely contained her full breasts and he felt his mouth go dry as he visibly swallowed.

 

“You’re beautiful” he told her before pressing his lips to hers in a slow, sensual kiss as he held himself up on his elbow, his free hand running along her skin, making her gasp into his mouth when his thumb brushed over the lace covered side of her breast before continuing its decent down her side.

 

She shivered as his fingertips ghosted across her stomach before dropping to the button of her shorts, flicking it open as he shifted slightly, his obvious arousal hard against her thigh.  

 

“ _Jug_ ” she gasped, breaking their kiss as she pressed her palms to his chest, “Wait...wait” she stammered, her heart hammering in her chest.

 

He pulled back in concern, putting a little more space between their bodies as he searched her face for answers, “What is it?  Is something wrong? Do you...do you want to stop?” he asked, worried that he had done something to make her uncomfortable or that she had maybe changed her mind about doing this with him.

 

“No, no” she said shaking her head, “Nothing’s wrong and I...I don’t want to stop” she told him, giggling when he dropped his forehead to her chest with a ‘ _Thank God_ ’ before continuing to worship her silky skin with his lips and tongue.

 

“ _Jug_ ” she tried again, grasping his face and pulling it from her chest so she could see him, “There’s nothing wrong, but there’s something that…” she paused, wetting her swollen lips with her tongue before continuing, “There’s something that you should know before we go any further” she told him quietly.

 

“Alright” he said slowly, her nervousness readable on her face which made his own anxiety stand at attention as he waited for her to tell him what she needed to.

 

She took a breath, watching her fingers as she tapped them rhythmically against his chest, “Okay, so you remember how we promised that on each date we would tell each other one thing that not a lot of people know about us” she asked and he nodded, “Well this is kind of my confession for tonight…” she said, her vulnerability clear as she caught his gaze.

 

“Betts” he said softly, brushing her hair behind her ear, “You don’t _have_ to tell me anything if it makes you unco—”

 

“ _I’m a virgin_ ” she blurted out, cutting him off as she covered her face in embarrassment.

 

“Oh...uhh….what?” he asked, unsure that he heard her right.

 

“I’m...a _virgin_ ” she repeated quietly as she dropped her hands from her face in time to see his eyes widen slightly at her confession.

 

“Um, okay...wow” he blubbered, and Betty began to worry that maybe he would change his mind or worse, not want her anymore.

 

“I’m sorry” she started to apologize, tears stinging her eyes as she went to roll away from him, but his arm shot out and grabbed her, bringing her back to him.

 

“No no no, _please_ don’t apologize baby” he plead as he cupped her face and kissed away her renegade tears.  “There’s nothing to be sorry for, or ashamed about....it’s just...I’m a little _surprised_ that’s all” he calmed, rubbing his thumbs along her jaw.

 

“So it doesn’t bother you?”

 

“Of course not, why would it?”

 

“I don’t know...I thought that maybe you wouldn’t want me once you found out that I have no idea what I’m doing” she told him shyly, “I could end up being really terrible at this” she warned seriously.

 

He chuckled and smiled adoringly at her as he brushed her hair back, “ _Betty_...trust me when I say that I will _always_ want you as I cannot fathom a life or time or world where I _wouldn’t_ want you...and the fact that you trust me enough to want to take this step with me...well, it _floors_ me, and I want you to know that it doesn’t matter how experienced you are—or aren’t, because we’re in this together and we’ll figure it out together and I will happily, and humbly, take you in any way, shape or form that you’ll allow me to” he affirmed.

 

“Really?” she breathed her eyes glassy again.

 

“ _Really_ ” he confirmed, dropping a kiss to her lips, “But that being said...I _need_ to know that you’re sure about this as there’s obviously a reason why you’ve chosen to wait this long and it would kill me if we did something only to have you regret in the morning.”

 

She nodded, “You’re right, there is a reason, but it’s not something I want to talk about...at least not at this moment, so you’ll just have to trust me” she said, placing her hand against his cheek.  “Trust me when I say that I’m _sure_ , and that I _want_ this...and that I want you— _all of you_ —tonight” she laid bare, “And I _trust_ you Jug—with all of me” she told him as she ran the tips of her fingers over his jaw, her body coming alive again at the that intensity in which he was looking at her.

 

 _This is it_ he awed…this is the ‘ _when_ ’ that had briefly crossed his thoughts earlier that evening, and he knew without a doubt, that if anyone were to ask him when it was that he fell in love with Betty Cooper, his answer would be _now..._ right here in this moment as she laid beneath him offering herself to him with an unshakable trust; completely confident that he would take care of her, and unintentionally rendering him speechless as a result.  

 

Hell, even if he _could_ form a sentence he wouldn’t have been able to put the extent of his feelings into words just yet, and he didn’t want to freak her out with something she maybe wasn’t ready to hear so soon; so instead he kissed her, pouring all the passion and emotion that he was feeling into her and hoping that on some level it came through.  

 

He positioned his body over hers again as she wrapped her arms around his neck, twirling the hairs at the nape of his neck between her fingers as she massaged his tongue with her own; whining at the loss when he broke away but her whine soon turned into a soft moan as he nipped at the flushed skin of her neck, making his way down as he pressed kisses to her sternum and the swell of her breasts.  His hand moving south again and sliding the zipper of her shorts down as he breathed in slow warm pants against her chest, his lips still grazing her flesh and bringing goosebumps to her overly sensitive skin.

 

He looked at her as he looped his fingers under the waistband of her shorts and waited for her nod before sliding them down her legs and dropping them at the end of the bed, holding her gaze as his hand followed the smooth curve of her leg and made its way back to her hip where he ran his fingers along the matching black lace of her panties, causing her breath to hitch as she squirmed in place.  

 

“You’re stunning” he told her, kissing her softly before dropping his head to her chest again and running his tongue experimentally along the edge of her cups, smiling against her when she arched into his touch.

 

“ _Jug…_ ”

 

“Yes Love?”

 

“Take it off” she insisted as she arched her back again so he could slide his hands around to the clasp.

 

After a moment of blind fiddling he popped the hooks and pulled the fabric from her body, letting her breasts spill free, his mouth going dry as he stared longer than he probably should have.

 

“My eyes are up here” Betty teased softly, snapping his gaze away from her chest.

 

“Sorry...it’s just...” he swallowed, running his hand along her ribs, his thumb grazing the underside of her breast, “You’re beautiful Betts” he told her, meeting her big green eyes again for a second before looking back to watch his nimble fingers dance along the supple skin.

 

He circled her nipple with his thumb before brushing an experimental stroke across the peak, smirking when she dropped her head back and bit her lip as she pushed her chest into hand.  Encouraged, he leaned back down and ran his tongue around the dusty pink before taking her into his mouth.

 

“ _Oh god_ ” she keened, sinking a hand into his hair and holding him to her as he gave her a final flick of his tongue before kissing his way to the other side to show it the same attention.  

 

“ _Jug,_ I want—I want you to touch me” she said, her words so quiet that he barely heard her as she squirmed beneath him.

 

He raised his head, “Are you sure?  Because we don—”

 

“ _Yes_... _please_ ” she added, nodding her head enthusiastically.

 

“Okay” he said, dropping another kiss to each breast before making his way down her torso, “But you have to promise me Betty that you’ll tell me if you want to stop, or if I do something that you don’t like, alright?” he urged between pressing kisses to her ribs and her stomach and around her navel.  

 

His eyes travelled back to her face to see her nod again, “I promise, now please Juggie” she begged, not entirely sure what she was asking for but knowing that she needed more.

 

He smiled against her tummy at the use of her nickname for him before proceeding downwards until he reached the only piece of clothing that she had left.  He slipped his fingertips just under the waist and slid them along the elastic to her hips, his knuckles dragging across the delicate skin as he went.

 

He placed a kiss just above the lace, letting his lips linger as he slid her underwear from her hips, giving her a little nip and making her jump before descending her body as he rid her of them.

 

He knelt between her legs, running his fingers along her ankles and calves as he stared once again, admiring the goddess laid out in front of him and wondering how he got so damn lucky.

 

“Juggie” Betty breathed, a blush covering her cheeks as she resisted the urge to cover herself.

 

He raked his gaze slowly up her form before settling on her face and smiling, “Yeah baby?”

 

“You’re wearing too many clothes” she insisted, biting her lip as she lifted a leg and pulled at the waist of his jeans with her toes.

 

“Is that right?” he teased, chuckling at her sultry little ‘Mmhmm’ as he stepped back off the bed and undid his jeans, letting them fall to the floor before toeing out of his socks and crawling back between her legs.

 

He trailed kisses from her ankle to her knee, working his way slowly to her center, pausing to suck and nibble on her inner thigh.  He felt her stiffen a little when he moved higher and he lifted his head, “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah” she told him honestly, “It’s just...no one’s ever...and the idea of _you_ , being _there_ , well I don’t know…” she trailed off, her face turning bright red.

 

Jug crawled up and kissed her, “Do you trust me?” he asked when he broke away.  She nodded and he brushed his nose against hers, “You’re exquisite and you have nothing to be embarrassed about” he told her, kissing her again, “And I want to taste you and I promise if you don’t like it I’ll stop.”

 

“Okay” she whispered, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of pink at his blatant confession.

 

He brushed his lips against hers once more before dropping to her chest and paying her breasts a little attention again before settling himself back between her legs.

 

She felt his breath against her core and started to close her legs on instinct but he held them firm with a hand on each thigh, “Don’t...just relax baby” he calmed, kissing the juncture to the side of her already glistening heat and smirking when he felt her shiver.  He put a firm palm across her abdomen and held her in place as he lifted one leg over his shoulder, opening her up to him before giving a tentative lick up her slit.

 

“Holy shit” she moaned, gripping the comforter as he did it again, this time swirling around her little bundle of nerves before taking it into his mouth.

 

“ _Fuuuuck_ …” she groaned, taking a handful of his hair and pulling slightly, making him hum against her as he worked her clit with his expert mouth.  After a minute of pure bliss, he gave her a harsh suck and released her, making her whine at the sudden loss of him, but he wanted to watch her as he ran a finger through her velvet folds, circling her swollen bundle a few times before slipping lower and sliding into her the first time.

 

She gasped before biting down on her lip and he stilled, worried that he had hurt her, “Are you alright?  Do you want me to stop?” he rushed.

 

“Yes—I mean no...I’m good...please don’t stop” she whimpered, lifting her hips against his hand and he eagerly obeyed, pumping his finger slowly in and out of her a couple times before adding another.

 

“ _God_ , your so tight baby” he awed, dropping his forehead to her stomach and kissing her there, “I have no idea how I’m going to last once you’re wrapped around me” he divulged, the thought making her moan and clench around his fingers and he groaned as his dick twitched, already aroused to the point of being painful.

 

“I need you to come for me” he told her before taking her clit with his mouth again, curling his fingers up and finding the sweet spot inside her, the combination making her hips jerk from the bed and he used his other hand to hold her down as he feverishly sucked and licked and nipped at her as his fingers pressed repeatedly against the swollen flesh inside her.

 

“ _Juggie_ ” she panted, tightening her grip on his hair “I’m gonna… _oh god_ ” she mewled loudly as the first waves of her orgasm hit, a low growl emanating from his chest as her walls gripped around him; and he continued his relentlessly pace as she moaned and cursed and shook beneath him, not letting up until her body went limp and he had lapped up the last of her release.

 

He finally pulled away and slowly slipped his digits from her when she laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light shove.  He placed a gentle kiss over her sensitive nub before crawling his way back up her body, leaving sloppy wet kisses in his wake.

 

“You’re amazing baby” he flattered against her neck, running his tongue along her dewy skin before latching onto her pulse point as he pressed his throbbing erection against her thigh, trying to find a sliver of relief.

 

“ _That..._ was amazing” she corrected, panting still as he covered her mouth with his; his tongue tangling heatedly with hers, and she groaned at the taste of herself on his lips.

 

He rutted against her again as the kiss intensified and she slipped her hand between them, gripping him through his boxers and making him curse as he jerked into her grip.  She grinned at his reaction and kissed him harder, tentatively stroking him with a new found passion until he placed his hand over hers, stilling her movements as he dropped his forehead to her shoulder.

 

“ _Betts_ ” he gritted between clenched teeth, “If you keep doing that I’m going to cum in my boxers and that’s not how I want this to end.”

 

“So take them off”

 

He chuckled against her neck and pressed his lips to her pulse before getting up off the bed and removing his boxers.  Betty stared wide eyed as his erection bobbed free, worrying her lip as she wondered how he was ever going to fit.

 

Jug gave her a tender smile as he returned to his spot above her, “It’ll be okay baby” he promised, kissing her softly, “And if it’s not we’ll stop alright?”

 

She nodded, taking his face between her hands and bringing him back to her in bruising kiss.  He groaned into her mouth as he slipped his tongue inside, her hands finding his hair once more as she rolled her body against him, trying to find some sort of friction to ease her ache.

 

He growled lowly, grasping one hip as he pushed against her, his other hand finding purchase on her breast, needing and teasing the rosy peak.

 

“Jug…” she broke away from his mouth, “I need you” she told him, wrapping her small hand around him.

 

“ _Shit_ ” he hissed, taking her mouth again in a thorough kiss then lightly biting her down lip before letting it go and shuffling his body off of her and to the side.

 

“What—where are you going?” she asked, grabbing onto his forearm to keep him from leaving her.

 

“I’m just grabbing protection” he told her, smoothing her hair away from her face.

 

She shook her head, “You don’t—you don’t need to” she said shyly, “I’m on the pill...and I—I want to feel all of you, no barriers.”

 

Jug released a shaky breath at her intimate request.  He’s never _not_ used protection before and he knows the trust and implications that are involved and once again she’s left him speechless as he shifts his body back over hers and kisses her with feeling.

 

He settles himself between her legs, the tip of him brushing against her silky folds and he groans into her mouth when she cants her hips, brushing her moist center along his throbbing cock.  He lifts himself, holding his weight on one arm as he lines himself up with her, “Tell me if I need to stop okay, I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Betty smiled and brushed the rogue curl from his forehead, “I will” she nodded, leaning up to kiss him softly as he started to sink into her.

 

Betty gasped as the first couple inches entered her and he stilled, letting her adjust before moving forward again slowly.  She winced a little at the burn as he stretched her, sinking the rest of the way into her warmth, but it only took a moment before the discomfort was replaced with a blissful fullness.

 

She sighed, wiggling against him and he took that as a sign to move, pulling himself almost all the way out before slowly burying himself to the hilt, shuttering against her as the feeling of her tight wet heat around his bare cock overwhelmed him.

 

“ _Holy shit_ ” he ground out at he started to move with earnest, sinking even deeper as she wrapped her legs around him and sunk her nails into his back.  “You feel _incredible_ baby” he told her, peppering her neck and chest with open mouth kisses before sucking a nipple into his mouth and making her moan and keen against him, arching into his touch.

 

He released her with a pop and took her mouth in a mess of tongue and teeth as his fingers gripped tightly to her ass, tilting her hips and making her moan loudly into his mouth as he hit the perfect spot inside her.

 

“ _Omigod_ ” she panted, instinctively raising her hips to meet his thrust for thrust.

 

“ _Fuck_...I’m close...I need you to cum for me” he demanded, increasing his cadence as he slammed his hips against hers.  “Fall with me Juliet” he plead, reaching between them and stroking her clit in hard fast circles.

 

“Fuc— _Juggie!”_ she whimpered, her mouth falling open as he felt her walls start to flutter around his length.

 

“That’s it baby girl” he encouraged, keeping his thrusts hard and deep while trying to stave off his own release as he brought her closer to hers.

 

Within moments he felt her clamp around him, his name tumbling loudly from her lips on a wave of moans and curses; his movements becoming choppy as he buried his face in her neck and fucked her through her orgasm, grunting out his own moan a minute later as he spilled inside her.

 

“ _Christ_ ” he muttered against her glowing skin, his lips ghosting over her fluttering pulse, “That was—”

 

“ _Unbelievable_ ” she finished, smiling as she ran her fingers over the sweat slicked skin of his back.

 

He raised himself to his elbows and took her face between his hands, kissing her sweetly, “Are you okay?” he asked.

 

“Perfect” she smiled, pulling him back to her and kissing him again.  It’s like she had an addiction and his lips were her drug.

 

He dropped a kiss to her forehead before gently sliding out of her, apologizing when her face scrunched up in a wince.  He laid on his side and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her heated body back against him as he buried his face into her hair.

 

“No regrets?” he asked softly, placing kisses along her shoulder and neck.

 

“Not a one” she answered, covering his arms with her own as she leaned her head back to capture his lips.

 

“Good” he smiled, kissing her nose before she turned away.  She sighed and snuggled closer to him as he tightened his hold on her.

 

They laid there like that, enjoying the afterglow as their heart rates returned to normal, Jug shifting them so they could slide beneath the covers before pulling her back to him again, tracing designs against her stomach as his lips grazed her shoulder.

 

“Hey Jug?”

 

“Mmhmm”

 

“What are we?”

 

He lifted his head and placed a kiss at her temple, “Does this have to do with what Reggie said tonight?” he questioned.

 

She shrugged a shoulder, “Maybe a little...but I’m also asking for me” she told him, rolling in his arms to face him.

 

“Well...we can be whatever you want us to be” he replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before trailing his fingers down her neck, “But I’d really like it if you’d be my girlfriend” he confessed, gently massaging her shoulder as his thumb rubbed along her collarbone.

 

She smiled brightly, “I’d like that too Juggie” she whispered, pressing her lips to his and kissing him slowly before cuddling into his chest.  

 

“Thank you” she said with a yawn as she swirled her fingers lightly along his chest, “For being so great, and making it perfect.”

 

“It was all you babe” he praised, hugging her close as he placed a kiss on her crown, “And it was perfect because your amazing and sexy and beautiful” he flattered, punctuating his words with kisses along her cheek and nose and jaw.

 

She giggled at his playful onslaught before laying a hand on his cheek, her eyes holding his with pure affection, “No...it was perfect because it was with you” she whispered, running her thumb across his bottom lip, her declaration stealing the breath from his lungs for the third time that night as he closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers.

 

“ _Betty Cooper_ ” he said with a shaky breath, opening his eyes again as he cupped her face, rubbing slow circles across the apples of her cheeks with his thumbs, “ _I love you_.”

 

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....thoughts...what did you think?
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Touch Me in the Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Warning - this chapter contains descriptions of sexual assault, please read with caution**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again for the dreadful wait...if you are still with me, THANK YOU! And I hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> PS. please note the warning.

Betty woke to warmth at her back and soft kisses across her shoulder and she smiled lazily into her pillow, pretending to be asleep still as she remembered the past night. Their amazing date, her first time, and then of course his declaration of love which swiftly led to her second time.

Jug had been incredible, and gentle and sweet, and never pushed her to return his sentiment; it’s not that she didn’t care about him because she did, and she’s pretty sure that what she’s feeling is indeed love...but the feeling is just so new and foreign to her and it’s developed so quickly that it feels dream like, and it’s almost as if she acknowledges it or reaches for it too soon that she’ll wake up and it’ll be gone.

She felt his arm tightened around her middle and he pulled her closer to him, brushing her hair from her neck before placing delicate kisses at the sensitive spot behind her ear, “Mmmm morning” she sighed sleepily, tilting her head slightly so he could have better access.

“Good morning sexy” he returned, lips barely leaving her skin, “You know, I could get very used to waking up naked with you” he divulged and she grinned, wiggling back against him, his ‘happiness’ very evident against the curve of her behind.  

He groaned at her movements and slid his hand up to cup her breast, making her keen and arch into his touch as he rolled her hardened peak between his fingers, “God baby, you drive me crazy” he whispered against her ear.

“Me too Juggie” she told him breathily, “I’ve never wanted anybody like I want you” she confessed and he groaned again, his hand releasing her breast and traveling south.

“Can I?” he asked, circling his fingers just below her navel.

“Please” she nodded, a low moan falling from her lips when his fingers slid through her silky folds.

“Shit, you’re so wet already baby” he awed, his talented fingers moving to circle her little bundle of nerves.

“I—I can’t help it…it’s like my body yearns for you…for your touch” she admitted her voice holding a tone of apology.

“Don’t say it like that, don’t apologize, I love how responsive you are to me and my body shares your need” he said, pressing his prominent erection against her ass as proof.

He circled her a few more times before moving down and slipping a finger into her, stilling when her breath hitched and she tensed a little,  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…I’m just a little sore.”

“Sorry” he apologized as he started to remove his finger but she grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“No, don’t stop…just—just go slow okay” she told him, humming when he slowly pressed back into her, moving gently in and out as he brought his thumb up to continue making small circles on her clit.

“How’s that?  Is that okay?” he asked, his voice soft and concerned.

“Mmhmm, it’s perfect” she mewled, moving her hips slowly to work in tandem with his hand.

Jughead nibbled his way along her shoulder, stopping to suck at the juncture of her neck and she moaned, moving her hips faster and in turn rubbing back against him more, making him curse into her neck as he soothed her marked skin with his tongue.

“ _More_ ” she whined and he carefully slid another finger inside her, curving them both to reach the spot that he knew would send her over.  Her breath quickening in response and coming out in small pants as he increased his speed and pressure, knowing that she was getting close.  

He slipped his free arm beneath her and reached around to grasp her breast, pulling and working her nipple while his thumb and fingers moved diligently at her core.

“ _Omigod_ …Jug…I—I” she whimpered.

“I know, it’s okay baby…let go… _come for me_ ” he provoked, his hot breath fanning across her cheek as she did exactly as he asked, his name falling from her lips as her body arched and splintered and fell apart under his skillful hands.

He kissed her neck and shoulders over and over again, “You’re so beautiful Betts” he praised as he brought her down and through her climax, holding her tightly once he removed himself from her grip and hugged her trembling body against his.  “I love you” he told her softly and she turned in his arms, grasping his face and taking his mouth in a passionate kiss that she hoped showed him what she didn’t have the courage to say just yet.

She continued to kiss him as she lowered one hand, dancing her fingers over his chest and down his abs before wrapping them around his shaft and giving him an experimental squeeze.

“ _Shit_ ” he uttered, inhaling sharply then groaning as she gave him a tentative stroke, “ _Betty_ …you don’t…I’m not expecting—”

“I know Jug, but I _want_ to…I just—I don’t have a lot of experience with this and I want you to enjoy it…I don’t want it to be… _unsatisfying_ ” she admitted, “Can…can you tell me what you like?” she asked timidly.

“ _Betts_ …I’m a hundred and ten percent positive that I will like _anything_ that you do to me” he chuckled, biting his lip as she continued to run her hand along him gently, “But maybe…maybe just a little tighter…and a bit—a bit faster” he instructed and she complied.

“Like that?” she asked innocently.

_“Yes_ ” he breathed out, closing his eyes, “Just like that love.”

Betty propped herself up on her elbow and eased him onto his back with her body, leaning over him slightly as she kissed him, her lips moving heatedly across his as she continued to work him, small groans vibrating in his chest as she did and she smiled against his mouth before slipping her tongue inside, emboldened by the noises he was making.

“ _Christ_ ” he grunted, his eyes rolling back when she tightened her grip and did some sort of swivel with her wrist.  “Do that again” he pled, groaning deep as she did and pushing his head further back into the pillow as he thrust into her hand.

Betty grinned proudly at his reaction, growing more confident as she watched him get lost in the pleasure that she was eliciting.  She placed light kisses across his chest, bringing goose bumps to his skin as she ran her tongue along the fine lines of ab that appeared every time he clenched and moved with her hand.  She nipped playfully at the flesh next to his navel as she swirled her thumb over his head, collecting the drop that had formed there and spreading it along his length, her lips smirking against his stomach as he moaned and mumbled something incoherently under his breath.

In a graceful move, she threw her leg over his thighs, surprising him as she straddled them and bent down, placing a tentative kiss to his tip.

“ _Shit_ ” he hissed between his teeth as he placed a hand against her shoulder, halting her from bending down again.

“What?  Did I do something wrong?” she asked, confusion on her face as he met her gaze, his eyes dark under heavy lids.

“No baby, _god_ no” he assured her, his eyes softening when he noticed her worry, “I just—you don’t have to...”

“Do you not want me to?”

He groaned as he ran his hand over his face, “That is _definitely_ not it” he sighed, looking at her again, “I just want to make sure that you’re doing it because you want to, not because you feel like you have to, especially if you’re uncomfortable with it.  We don’t need to do everything all at once…I-I’m more than okay with taking things slow if that’s what you want.”

She shook her head as she removed his hand from her shoulder, lacing her fingers with his and giving them a reassuring squeeze, “I want to do this for you” she told him honestly, kissing their entwined fingers.

He studied her face for a moment before giving her a little nod, “Okay” he acquiesced, “But first, come here” he requested, giving her an adorable grin as she leaned forward so he could capture her lips in a sweet kiss, his hand coming up to the back of her neck and holding her in place as he kissed her thoroughly, sweetness soon melting away into heat as his tongue expertly explored her mouth and stole her breath from her lungs.

Betty gasped as she broke away for air, panting as she laid her forehead against his, her body on fire as the twitch of Jug’s erection against her stomach flooded her with want again.  She kissed him softly once more before moving her lips back down his body as he lifted his head and watched her; not breaking eye contact as she pressed kisses around his throbbing cock, her lips quirking up in a seductive smirk before she ran her tongue tentatively up his length, ripping a curse and a moan from his chest as he dropped his head back.

Encouraged, she gripped him again, swirling her tongue around his tip before wrapping her lips around him, taking him fully into her mouth while trying to suppress her gag reflex as she felt him hit the back of her throat, the constricting feeling making him groan.  She hollowed her cheeks and pulled back, catching another drop of moisture with a flick of her tongue before sinking back down on him again, her tongue swirling around him as her hand moved in coordination with her mouth.

“ _Fuuucckk_ ” he growled, raising his head again to watch her work him, her emerald eyes fluttering up to meet his momentarily, and the lust he saw in them coupled with the sight of her lips wrapped around his cock almost had him exploding right then and there.  “Do you know how beautiful you are?” he asked her, stroking her cheek as he brushed her hair away from her face before burying his hand in her golden locks. Betty just moaned in response, the vibrations making him bite back another growl as he struggled to hold back his release.

“ _Jesus_ …I’m not going to last much longer baby” he confessed, spurring her on as she increased her speed and suction, determined to get him there as her mouth, hand and tongue brought him quickly to the edge.

 She felt his hand fist in her hair, her name spilling from his lips as he tapped her shoulder repeatedly with his other hand, “Betty…I’m gonna…you have to stop if you don’t want me to…”

She shook her head, knowing what he was trying to tell her but she wanted his release, she wanted to taste him like he had her the night before; so instead of stopping she worked him harder and he moaned loudly, his grip on her hair tightening but not to the point of painful as his other fist twisted into the bed sheets.

“Betts… _fuck_ ” he groaned as his hips stuttered and he spilled over her tongue, his body glistening and heaving, gradually coming down as she slowed her ministrations until his body fell lax and she was sure that she had brought him to full completion.  

She released him gently and placed a kiss at his head before coming up to lay beside his boneless body, cuddling into his side as he wrapped an arm around her and held her tight while he waited for his heart rate and breathing to return to normal.  

He turned his head to the side and pressed a swift kiss to her crown, “Christ baby…” he uttered, running his thumb across her lips, “Are you sure you haven’t done that before?” he asked incredulously.

She blushed and shook her head, “So it was okay then?”

He scoffed, “I don’t think _okay_ covers it…in fact I don’t have words for how talented your mouth is” he praised and she giggled as he pressed a kiss to her swollen lips.  “Thank you” he told her when he broke away and she kissed him again before laying her head on his chest, sighing contently as she traced the lines of his tattoo.

They laid in silence for a while and just enjoyed the feel of each other; Betty relaxing to the beat of his chest under her cheek as Jug carded his fingers through her hair.  He kissed the top of her head, moving his fingers from her hair to trail slowly up and down her arm, creating a delicious tingle to flow through her.

“Hey babe….can I ask you something?”

She rested her chin on his chest and smiled up at him, “Of course.”

He wet his lips nervously, “Why…why did you wait?  To have sex I mean…” he asked cautiously.

Betty sighed and laid her head back against his chest, trying to decide how much she wanted to tell him.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to” he assured, “It’s just, you said that you had your reasons and that’s totally your business to keep…I’m just curious as to what happened because…because I love you and I want to know you, _all_ the parts of you, the good and the bad, and I want you to feel like you can share them with me” he told her, giving her a squeeze.

“I want to share them with you too, Jug” she said quietly, “I want you to know me…and I feel like we’ve reached the point in our relationship where we _can_ feel comfortable sharing our past and our stories, it’s just…these aren’t _happy_ stories...and I don’t—I don’t know if you’ll really want to hear them” she paused, biting her lip as Jughead felt a slight twinge of trepidation surge through him.  “Also…I don’t—I don’t want you to think less of me” she admitted.

“Betty” he scoffed softly, putting a finger under her chin and lifting it so that she was looking at him again, “ _Nothing_ could make me think less of you...and no matter what you tell me, it would never change how I feel about you” he promised, “Okay?”

“Okay” she said with a small smile, kissing him softly before settling back against his chest.

She didn’t say anything for a moment and he just held her, rubbing her back gently as he waited for her to offer the information on her own.  He felt her take a long deep breath and let it out, and he hugged her, holding his own breath as she started to speak.

“Do you remember how I told you that something had happened at my last foster home…and that I had gone to my Social Worker to try and get help, to get moved?”

“Yeah” he nodded, not liking the direction the story was taking already.

“Well the family was the Conner’s, they were pretty great actually, nice home, nice people…a little reserved maybe but nice enough.  They had a daughter a couple years younger than me and we got along great, she reminded me a bit of my sister and being around her seemed to fill some of the void that I was left with.  I was happy…for the first time in a long time…but then I screwed it up…” she said softly.

Jug stayed quiet, just kissed the top of her head and squeezed her reassuringly as he waited for her to continue.

“You see, they had a son too, Jake…he was nineteen and away at college when they got me so I didn’t meet him until almost two months later when he came home for Thanksgiving.  Sure I had seen pictures of him around the home and being your typical fourteen year old, I thought he was cute and I found myself curious about him...in an innocent way...but from the moment he walked through the door I was absolutely mesmerized.  He was just so cool and so much cuter than in his pictures; and he was funny and smart and confident and the teenage girl in me was a goner right from the get go” she sighed.

“I spent the whole holiday practically swooning, and he seemed like he enjoyed my company too…went out of his way to include me in things and spend time with me.  We played video games and watched movies, and he took me to the mall and we spent hours laughing and talking in his room and by the time he left to go back to school I was certain that I was in love” she scoffed.  

“I didn’t tell the Conner’s about my crush but I’m pretty sure that they knew and just didn’t say anything.  And every time he came home we would just fall back into our normal routine, almost like he had never left. However, as the year went on, things started to change—I started to change…my body developed and suddenly I didn’t look like a child anymore and I—I could tell that Jake had noticed” she acknowledged, and Jug felt his jaw clench, knowing exactly where her story seemed to be heading but not wanting to believe it.

“It started with sweet little smiles and the odd compliment...a wink here or there...but then, every once in a while, I would catch him staring at me with this look in his eyes…a look that I now recognize as lust.  He started coming home more often and always had an excuse to explain his more frequent visits to his parents, and that…that’s when then the little touches started, innocent at first; a hand on my shoulder, or against my waist or the small of my back as he would pass, a light squeeze to the knee, and I—I should have been smarter…I should have known that something was off and that no normal college guy would be interested in a fourteen year old kid” she accosted herself, shaking her head.

“But by then I was so enraptured with this smooth older guy that by the time Spring break came along, I found myself missing his little touches...worse yet, I wanted them…as much as a young girl can want and understand something like that.  I—I just wanted to hold his hand you know, or feel his arms around me as he hugged me…sure I had fantasized about what it would be like to kiss him, but never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined that that would actually happen…but then it did” she revealed, shivering at the memory and Jug pulled the sheet over her and held her tighter.

“His parents were out and Cassie, his sister, had gone to bed and we were watching a movie in his room...everything was fine, it was normal...but not even halfway through I caught him staring at me again and I asked him what he was looking at and he didn’t say anything, he just leaned over...and he—he kissed me.  I was shocked and I didn’t know what to do and I’m pretty sure I just sat there frozen, waiting for the sparks that everyone talks about...but they never came...and then suddenly his body was on top of me and I felt his tongue push into my mouth as his hand slid under my shirt and I panicked, pushing against his chest.  I remember...I remember telling him that he needed to stop, that it was too much, too fast, but he didn’t listen” she told him, her words picking up speed and full of emotion.

“He just kept kissing me, my lips, my neck, anywhere he could reach...and then his hand, it squeezed my chest roughly and—and I felt his other hand start to slide towards my jeans and before I knew what was happening he was undoing them, and I—I started crying and begging him to stop but he acted like he didn’t hear me and he just told me to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake Cassie” she whimpered and Jug kissed her temple as he whispered to her, telling her that it was okay and that she could stop if she needed to but she just shook her head and continued.

“And then—and then he slid his hand into my panties and he touched me...and I was old enough to know that this sort of thing was supposed to feel good, but instead it just felt scary, and wrong, and I opened my mouth to scream but he covered it with his hand, muffling any sound as he warned me to behave and to just relax and enjoy it” she recounted with watery disgust.  “A-a minute later I felt his fingers enter me and I started sobbing, it hurt and I cried out against his palm and he just squeezed my face tighter and continued, so I just…I closed my eyes and waited for it to be over” she sniffed, wiping a lone tear from her cheek as she took steadying breaths to calm herself so she could carry on.

“ _Son of a bitch_ ” she heard Jug whisper as he held her to his chest, his hand cradling her head and stroking her hair, “Betty…did he…”

“No” she said, cutting him off, “He was close but his—his parents came home and when he heard the front door shut he got off of me, but he kept his hand over my mouth and told me not to say a word or he would tell them that I came onto him…he said that there was no way his parents would believe me over him, especially with the way that I had been following him around like a lost little puppy—his words, not mine—and then he kissed me harshly one more time and let me go, and I—I could feel the bile rising up in my throat and I ran straight from his room to the bathroom and threw up until I had nothing left.  After I was done, I felt so ashamed, and embarrassed, and... _dirty_ …so I got in the shower, needing to feel clean again…to wash every trace of him from my skin…I-I can remember staying in there, crying until the hot water ran out and my teeth chattered...my body was numb...but not from the cold” she recalled.

“The next morning he caught me alone in the hallway and he pressed me up against the wall.  He reminded me about his warning and then told me that he couldn’t wait to come home again…he said that he’d—that he’d never forget the taste of me…I didn’t know what he meant back then…but I do now and the thought of him tasting…of doing that…” she swallowed thickly, “It still makes me want to vomit” she confessed.  “And then with a kiss to my cheek he was gone...the next day I went to see my worker and I told him, in less detail of course, what had happened but he just brushed it off, he said that it was clearly my fault for leading him on and that I should just be happy that I had a roof over my head” she said bitterly, frowning at the memory.

“Anyway, you know the rest…” she stated, “I got on a train that day and I never looked back…but I also made a vow on that train…I promised myself, that as long as I could help it, no man would ever touch me like that again...not unless I wanted him to…and not until I trusted him and cared for him and knew that he cared for me too” she told him, tilting her chin up to look at him again.  “I trust you Jug, with every part of me…I’ve never met anyone like you before, and us... _together_ …well for the first time ever, it makes sense to me, it just—it feels right, you know” she affirmed softly.

“Yeah I know, I feel it too baby….and I’m—I’m so sorry” he soothed as he kissed her forehead, “I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that and I’m sorry that no one was there to help you or protect you, and I swear to _God_ , if I ever have the displeasure of meeting that asshole I’m going to break his fucking neck” he pledged.

She smiled fondly at him, “Not that I don’t love the strong protective boyfriend act and all, but it’s okay Jug…it was a long time ago and he wasn’t the only one at fault…I—I opened myself up to his advances and maybe if I would have said something to him sooner than maybe it could have been prevented” she shrugged.

“That’s bullshit!  This is _not_ your fault Betty, not even a little bit...he’s a disgusting excuse for a man and you did absolutely nothing wrong!” he insisted, cupping her face and smoothing his thumbs across her cheeks, “ _Christ_ _love_ , you were just a child and he took advantage of you…what he did was _wrong_ , on so many levels, not to mention illegal...but that’s all on him” he urged gently.  “You weren’t the one that screwed up...please don’t blame yourself for his mistakes” he pleaded, his heart aching in his chest for this beautiful woman in front of him.  “Tell me Betts; _tell me_ that you trust me when I say that you did nothing wrong…and when I tell you that you are so strong and so brave, and that what he did doesn’t make you anything less because you, Betty Cooper, are _amazing_!  Tell me you believe me baby” he pressed, laying his forehead against hers.

Betty released a shaky breath, her eyes brimming with tears as they flitted across his face, committing every feature of this beautiful determined man to memory; _God how did I get so lucky_ she awed as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, smiling when she pulled away, “I believe you” she swore, and he returned her smile as he brought her face back to his and kissed her with conviction, making her whole body melt into him.  And as she moved her lips with his, she was hit with the realization that she had never felt more _love_ or more at _home_ than she did right now…with him.

“Juggie” she whispered, her mouth barely leaving his as she pulled away just enough to meet his eyes, “I—I love you” she professed breathily, smiling when his eyes widened and she saw nothing but slight surprise and mirrored love in the depths of his vibrant blues.

He pulled her back to him, crashing his mouth against hers, “I love you, I love you, I love you” he told her between kisses, making her giggle when he flipped them over and moved his onslaught to her neck, kissing her everywhere he could reach.

“Juggie!” she squealed as he tickled her sides and attacked her skin with his mouth.

“Say it again” he demanded playfully, his fingers skirting across her ribs.

“I love you” she laughed, reaching up to stroke his cheek lovingly as he smiled down at at her, “And as much as I’d love to just stay in bed with you all day...I need a shower, and then probably some sustenance since someone zapped all my energy” she teased, rolling her eyes at his smug smirk before gently pushing on his chest so she could sit up.  “ _Plus_ , I have to go to work in a few hours which means I’ll need to go home to change first” she told him as she swung her legs off the edge of the bed.

He grumbled and wrapped his arms around her waist as she started to rise, pulling her back down so that she was seated, “No...don’t go, stay here with me…”

She giggled and leaned down to place a kiss to his frown, “You’re cute when you pout, but that doesn’t change the fact that I have to work today Jug” she chided, running her hand through his raven curls.

He nuzzled his face into her side, “You could call in sick” he suggested hopefully and she laughed.

“Yeah, I’m sure Chuck would _love_ that” she said sarcastically.

“ _Come on babe_ ” he whined, “You’ve worked yourself crazy this week, plus you’ve covered for two other sick girls...you deserve a day to relax” he insisted.

Betty chewed her lip as she considered his argument; he did have a point, she had been overworked lately between her job and school, and she could definitely use a day to breath...and there was the fact that she hadn’t taken a sick day since she started...so it couldn’t hurt to call in just this once, right?

“What the hell” she resigned, “I’ll text Joaquin after my shower and ask him to tell Chuck that I’m out sick today” she decided.

“Yes!” Jug exclaimed, sitting up and kissing her soundly, “That’s my girl” he said proudly.

“You’re a bad influence you know that” she scolded him fondly.

“Yeah...but you love me” he said smugly and she giggled.

“That I do” she agreed, pressing a kiss to his lips before giving his thigh a slap, “Now come on babe, the shower awaits” she said as she stood, the sheets falling away from her milky skin and leaving her bare before him.

Jughead’s words caught in his throat, completely enchanted by the naked blonde goddess in front of him, “Y-You mean as in—as in me and you... _together_??” he stuttered, taken aback.

She walked towards the adjoining bathroom and rested one hand against the door frame before looking over her shoulder at him, “Yeah Jug...me and you, _together_...unless of course you’d rather _not_ join me” she purred seductively, quirking a challenging brow at him before sashaying into the bathroom.

Jughead sat there, staring after her in wonder and amusement until the sound of the shower brought him back to his senses, his brain quickly processing her suggestive request and spurring him into action as he scrambled out of bed, tripping and stumbling over the sheets in his rush to join his blonde temptress, as only a stupid man would refuse her offer and he was anything but…No, this time he definitely didn’t need to be told twice.

~*~

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo thoughts? Yay/nay? I know this chapter didn’t feel as ‘meaty’ as my others but it was an important chapter for background, etc and if I added the next scene it definitely would have been longer than I wanted it to be...
> 
> Anywho, if you liked it..or didn’t... let me know below :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please comment and let me know whether I should continue or not.


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